The GGs: Adventures and Misadventures
by nohmaskofoblivion
Summary: This was probably the best thing I've done on this site. You can see my writing style and characterization skills develop in every chapter. Please review as you go.
1. McDonalds Revised

**_I don't own JSRF…I DO own this fic so don't plagiarize.

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_**

_**McDonalds'**_

_**Revisions made**_

**(Corn, Cube, Clutch, Combo and Gum)

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**

"_**You waste your time battlin' me,**_

_**I got mine happenin' see,**_

_**You should have thought G,**_

_**You should have thought sooner;**_

_**Instead of battlin' me you need to plan your longevity,**_

_**Before you die broke like Sammy Davis Jr.**_

_**The solar, followed by the lunar,**_

_**Followed by the solar,**_

_**Followed by McDonalds and Coke Cola;**_

_**The point is that  
Whatever the outcome of the battle,  
the day goes on with more french fries and soda.**_

_**So I Say…"**_

**-"KRS-One Speech" by KRS-One

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**

_**I spent a lot of time adding to this Chapter. Please read and review…don't let my efforts go to waste.**_

**_In this chapter the above mentioned GGs are at the above mentioned establishment in Shibuya Terminal. Odd conversations are started when a cashier cops an attitude. It's my first attempt at writing, so it pretty much goes nowhere…please don't let this be the fic by which you judge my later work. In fact skip this and go straight to the Halloween series…maybe No Jumper Cables.

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_**

It was a hot day in the middle of August.

No surprise there.

While everyone else was around Tokyo doing whatever it is they do when they're alone (to name a few: Garam was working on Roboy, Soda was picking up girls, and Yoyo was sitting in the GGs' newly acquired HQ, stuffing ice into his underwear…the heat really got to him) the four C's and Gum were at the McDonalds' in Shibuya Terminal.

**The Cashier**

_More along the lines of humiliating than funny._

Clutch was quite sure of what he had ordered. He even checked the receipt…three times. _Double Quarter-pounder, no cheese, no mayonnaise, with mustard, _he ran this through his mind several times. However when he bit into his burger, lo and behold it had no mustard and extra mayonnaise. He took it back to the counter, and asked them to fix his order. The problem was, the chick behind the register. No matter what he said to her she wouldn't do anything to help him. Clutch just couldn't understand what her problem was. The conversation went as follows:

"Hey, this isn't what I ordered, can you fix it?"

The cashier looked at him.

"Hey, you heard me didn't you?"

The cashier stared at him.

"I'm just askin' you to fix my order."

The cashier stared at him.

Clutch waved at her, "Hello?"

She waved back, and said nothing.

Clutch was getting irritated.

Cube asked Combo, "Should we tell him?"

"No he'll figure it out," was Combo's response.

Gum and Corn looked on.

"Hey, are you listenin'?"

She stared at him.

"You better answer me or somethin'."

"…" she cocked her head to the side.

Clutch was mad.

Cube and Combo were grinning.

Corn and Gum were shaking there heads.

"Girl, I know you hear me. You better speak!"

"…" the cashier walked away.

Clutch was pissed.

Cube and Combo were giggling.

Corn and Gum started eating.

"Don't walk away from me bitch!"

"…" the cashier looked back at him and shrugged.

"Don't you understand English?"

The cashier looked at him and shook her head, "no." It appeared that she did, in fact, understand the phrase "Don't you understand English."

Clutch stopped for a second. His anger subsided. _Oh shit…was I speaking English_?

Embarrassed, Clutch cleared his throat… and politely, in Japanese, asked the cashier to change his order and forgive him which, eventually, she did (change his order).

Gum and Corn looked up at each other, and they finally accomplished, with a single thought something that they had attempted several times since they were five, they formed a psychic link. Of course this was only temporary and only one thought crossed their collective mind: _We aren't taking his ass anywhere again._

Combo and Cube were laughing for about ten minutes after the incident. Their laughter eventually turned into gentle giggles at intervals but returned to full-blown laughter when Combo said "That language barrier's a bitch." It ended a few moments after Cube asked him a question: "How could you not know you were speaking English?"

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**Dirty Jokes**

**_The GG's tell a few jokes. I spent most of my time on their reactions to the jokes. The actual jokes are bold print. Just Plug in whomever you want for the other comments_. I suggest you re-read the bold areas so you'll get the jokes.**

A little while later the laughter had stopped and everyone in the restaurant had seemingly forgotten about the scene Clutch made. The GG's were still sitting at their table eating; there was no conversation of any kind. Corn decided that it was a little too quiet at the moment so he did what any normal person would do in that situation, he told a joke. He did what he usually does, he asked Gum if she had heard it before, she said no, and that opened the doors the first joke:

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**_The Four-storied Building (Corn's Joke)_**

"Okay, so there's a four-storied building…"

"Where is it?"

"That's beside the point; the point is **there's a four-storied building**…"

"Is it an apartment building, a project, or an office building?"

"Apartment building, but listen there are four guys that live in this building…"

"Only four guys?"

"Uh…"

"Dude, obviously there aren't just four people living there."

"Yeah what are you some kind of dumb ass?"

"…Anyway, **there are four guys that live there**. **On the fourth floor there's a guy that likes to juggle knives and axes and shit…"**

"Wait…he juggles knives, axes…and shit?"

"No…what? No!"

"But you just said…"

"I meant similar items."

"Similar to what?"

"Dude just shut up."

"But…"

(In unison) "Just shut up!"

"Okay, okay… (under breath) assholes."

"**On the third floor there's a guy with a peeing problem**."

"A peeing problem? What like a bladder infection or some shit like that?"

"The joke isn't that specific."

"Does he have the clap? Cause that really isn't necessarily a urinary problem."

"I doubt it's the clap. It really is more of more of a bladder infection type thing."

"I knew it."

"Shut up, **on the second floor there's a guy that just paints things green all day**…"

"Hold up, he paints things green? All day?"

"Yes all day, **and on the bottom floor there's a guy that loves pickles**."

"Yeah okay pickles, great, but back up…is the green dude retarded or something?"

"Nigga! That's messed up."

"What?"

"You aint s'posed to call 'em that man, you s'posed to call 'em 'mentally challenged'."

"The fuck's the difference? They don't know what you callin' 'em."

"That's just mean."

"Getting' off topic here. Where was I?"

"Pickles."

"Oh yeah… so anyway, one day…"

"I think I might have trouble keeping up with this joke."

"…What?"

"Well unless I put a face on the people in a joke like this, I won't be able to keep up."

"(sigh)…okay, Garam's on the top floor, Beat's on the third floor, Soda's on the second floor, and Yoyo's on the ground floor."

"So Garam juggles knives and shit, Beat has a peeing problem, Soda paints things green, and Yoyo eats pickles?"

"Yeah."

"I think I see where this is going but I won't say anything."

"Good, anyway **one day Garam's Juggling Knives. He gets a phone call and he looks at the phone. He isn't paying attention and, along with almost slicing his fingers off, he accidentally let's a knife go, and it flies out of his window…"**

"Fuckin' Garam…"

"Fuckin' Garam indeed**…so said knife flies out of said window and drops down. Now as this is happening, Beat's throwing a party and there's a long ass line to the bathroom. He sees the window and just says 'fuck it' and starts pissin' out the window…"**

"I was right…"

"That does sound like somethin' beat would do."

"Indeed, so **as Beat's pissin', the knife's fallin' and it cuts off his dick…"**

"Oh! Nigga!"

"How did it not miss such a small target?"

They all stared at Gum.

"What are you tryin' to say about Beat, Gum?"

"Nothing."

"Y'know I always suspected that but I never said anything. I mean how many guys wear pants that tight?"

Everyone just grinned. How could Beats' girlfriend just betray his secret like that?"

"Back to the joke, the knife slices his tiny little needle-dick (he smiled at Gum when he said that)** and his prick falls to the ground. Soda's paintin' somethin' green in his apartment, he stops payin' attention and sticks his paint brush out the window, and Beats' prick lands on it and rolls off, so now it's green."**

"Wait…that doesn't make any sense."

"Huh?"

"Well first: what would take Sodas' attention away from what he was painting?"

"Well, the guy doesn't exactly have the worlds' longest attention span."

"Granted, but I've seen him paint, when he's doing that he concentrates like a damn laser beam."

"Taggin' aint the same thing as paintin', but I'll give you that one."

"Cool, second: what would he be painting near a window?"

"A wall I guess."

"But if he loves green so much why hasn't he painted that wall already?"

"…Uh…can I just finish this joke please?"

"Go right ahead."

"Okay for this next part you have to assume Beats' dick is at least three inches long when flaccid (they all looked at Gum, who shook her head). Wow, well let's just say it is. **It rolls off the brush and falls. Yoyo looks out the window and checks for rain…"**

"OH GOD NO!"

"**It lands in his hand and he says 'hey a pickle!'"**

They all stared at him in disbelief.

"I'll let you take a wild guess at what happened next."

"Wait…how likely is it that they would all live right on top of each other?"

"Probably zero…anyone else got a joke?"

* * *

**_The Suppository (Clutch's Joke)_**

After about a minute of silent giggling

"Okay…I have one. **This guy is constipated and his wife suggests that he goes to see his doctor about it.** And let's say the guy is…Beat, his wife is Gum and the doctor is Hayashi."

"Hayashi?"

"Yep."

"Why do I get a bad feeling about this joke?"

"Because you know me and you know what I like to do?"

"Why does it seem like every joke you guys tell involves Beat?"

"Because he's an easy target."

"Oh yeah…I guess you're right."

"Anyway **the guy goes to see his doctor. The doctor checks him out and he says to him 'It's pretty serious. In fact it's the worst case of constipation I've seen in quite some time."**

"You mean to tell me he's actually seen bad cases of constipation before?"

"Well he's a proctologist."

"A what now?"

"A proctologist…a doctor that specializes in your prostate."

He was answered with a blank stare.

"(sigh)…your ass."

"So this guy went to medical school to learn about problems people have with their asses?"

"Yeah…look…"

"No hang on…let me see if I can wrap my brain around this…He went to high school, graduated, went to college, did four years, came back for four more years, and graduated after eight years of college…so he could help people who have problems with their asses?"

"Uh…yeah, I guess…"

"What an asshole…"

"Look can I finish the joke?"

(Silence)

"**So the guy…"**

"Beat."

"Huh?"

"You said the guy was Beat right?"

"Oh…oh yeah, right. Uh…**Beat asks the doctor, Hayashi, if there's anything he can do for him and Hayashi says 'As a matter of fact I can…I have a suppository that can help you with your constipation…"**

"Suppository?"

"It's a pill you shove up your ass."

"Eww!"

"Ahem!"

"Oh right sorry…"

"**Now Beat asked Hayashi if there was any other way and Hayashi told him that the only way that didn't involve a suppository or an enema was surgery. Beat agrees to take the suppository, Hayashi gives him one…if you catch my drift…and says to him 'I'm gonna need you to take one of these every twelve hours for a week.' He gives him thirteen more and sends him home."**

"Just to clarify, he did put one in his ass right?"

Three people at different tables looked over towards them quite disgusted. Was this a conversation to have while eating?

"(sigh) Yes. Anyway **it's twelve hours later and Beat has to use another suppository so he goes to Gum, his wife, and asks her to…you know** (makes a circle with his index and thumb then passes his other index through the circle)."

"He WHAT!"

"Gum, don't make a scene. Just put the suppository up Beats ass…(Giggles)"

The others got a good chuckle out of this also.

"How dare you!"

"**Anyway she agrees…"**

"The hell I do!"

"**And she puts one hand on his shoulder and the suppository in his ass. Then Beat starts to freak out."**

"He'd better."

"**Gum asks him what's wrong. So Beat says 'You know how you only had one hand on my shoulder?' She says yeah. Beat starts to cry."**

"What a bitch."

"So anyway…**Gum asks him again 'What's wrong?' 'When the doctor,** whom I remind you is Hayashi…I can't stress that enough,** when the doctor gave me the suppositories he put one in too…' So Gum looks at him and says 'Yeah so?' Now Beat looks her in the eyes and says 'When he gave it to me he had both of his hands on my shoulders!'"**

"Oh my GOD!"

"That's so Fuckin' nasty!"

"Heh heh…right in the dookie-door."

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! Beat got raped!"

Many other McDonald's customers gasped at the sudden outburst of "…Ha Ha! Beat got raped!"

* * *

_**The Black Guy, White Guy and Mexican Guy in Hell (Cube's Joke)**_

"Okay I know a joke..."

There were looks of shock and horror.

"Really?"

"Of course…"

"You don't seem like the type to know a joke."

"…Fuck you. So the jokes about a Black guy, White guy and Mexican guy…but since we're kind of sticking with a theme here…Combo (she looks at Combo) you're the Black guy…"

"Obviously."

" …Beat's the White guy…"

"Again?"

"I'm sticking with the theme so yes, and Corn you get to be the Mexican guy."

"Si…me gusta!"

She looked at Corn blankly "…Whatever. Also I don't remember the joke that well, so please try not to interrupt me or I'll end up telling it wrong."

"(in unison) Okay."

"All right**…There's a Black guy, a White guy and a Mexican guy. Now Beat, the White guy suspects his wife **she points at Gum **of cheating on him. Every night he comes home from work he hears what sounds like her having sex, but when he comes inside there's nobody there with her. However he does suspect a Black guy, Combo of fuckin' her because whenever he thinks she's had sex the window's open and he can see Combo on the fire escape below him." **

Cube paused there. She was lost in thought.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just hang on…"

"You don't remember the joke, do you?"

"Fuck you."

"Come on, quit stallin' (snaps fingers)"

It was then that Cube Punched Clutch in the mouth.

"Ah! You bitch…"

"Okay I got it now…**One day he decides to call home and tell Gum he's going to be working late. Instead of working late he leaves work two hours early. When Beat gets home he kicks the door in and he definitely hears her having sex. When he goes into his room the window's open and he sees Combo on the fire escape below him. Beat gets pissed."**

"Where do I come in?"

"I'll get to you. Just shut up and let me finish…**At the foot of their bed is a big trunk full of clothes, right."**

"Right."

"**So Beat grabs the trunk and drags it over to the window and out onto the fire escape. Then he yells 'I'll kill you asshole!' at Combo. Combo leans over the railing on the fire escape so he can look up at Beat. When Combo looks up, Beat drops the trunk on him, but what he doesn't realize is that his shirt got caught on a nail. When he drops the trunk he falls too."**

"Damn…hang on, let me drink in the irony…and there we go. Please continue."

"**The trunk falls Beat goes over the rail and the trunk hits Combo sending him over the rail. They land in the street and Combo is crushed by the trunk and Beat lands on a car runs over the trunk."**

"Jesús Cristo, that's fuckin' hilarious."

"**Ten minutes later, Beat and Combo are standing at the gates of Hell."**

"Why'd _I_ go to Hell…_he_ killed _me_!"

"Shut up…**There's a demon at the gate signing people in. He looks at Beat and says 'What are you hear for?' to which Beat replies 'I came home early and caught this bastard fuckin' my wife but when I killed him I accidentally died in the process.' **

**The demon writes that down and looks at Combo and asks 'So he killed you right?' to which Combo replies 'Yeah, I was exercising on my fire escape minding my own business. This dude called out to me then dropped a trunk on me and killed me!'"**

"'**Sounds like a misunderstanding to me…How about you, how did you die?' The Demon points in between Beat and Combo, who turn to see Corn standing behind them bare ass naked…"**

"Naked!"

"Yes naked…**Corn looks at both Combo and Beat then at the Demon and says 'I was having sex with this girl and some guy broke in. So she tells me to get into this trunk at the foot of the bed and stay there. I get in then I feel myself moving and I hear somebody yell something, then the next thing I know I'm here!'"**

Clutch, Combo and Corn all laughed Gum just stared, mouth open, in complete shock.

Her only thought: _Oh shit, does Cube know about that?

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_

**_I hope you enjoyed that...if you ignored my request to skip it. Read and review. _**


	2. No Jumper Cables Revised

**_I don't own JSRF…I DO own this fic so don't plagiarize. _**

**_To sum it up: don't own JSRF… please don't sue.

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_**

**No Jumper Cables**

**(Clutch)

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**

"**_Catapult  
Jump mother fuckers  
No batteries  
Catapult  
Jump mother fuckers  
No cables  
They only came to buff the name stuck to the train  
That's a textbook page  
for my seed up in flames  
_**

**_Catapult  
Jump mother fuckers  
No batteries  
Catapult  
Jump mother fuckers  
No cables  
Curators cater to killers of innovators  
I'm a staple  
No batteries no jumper cables"  
_- "No Jumper Cables" by Aesop Rock

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**

**_I wanted this story to start one way and then very quickly shift focus and go in a different direction .After a while I decided to edit and add more to the story to take it back in the direction I was originally going in. Enjoy!

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_**

Ever since Clutch had joined the GG's he had wondered whose car it was. It just sat there, beat up and on blocks.

In case you haven't figured out what car I'm talking about, I mean the old beat up piece of shit that just seems to take up space in the garage. It's also the only thing in my mind that justifies calling GG H.Q. "the garage." But I digress.

As I was saying, Clutch had been a member of the GG's for about two and a half months and he had never once seen anyone work on the car nor had he heard anyone claim it as theirs. It had finally occurred to him one day that since no one had claimed it and it seemed no one wanted it, he could just claim as his own.

"I have an announcement to make," he said

"What is it?" Gum asked.

"You're leavin'?" Yoyo asked, getting his hopes up.

"Uh…no."

"You an undercover cop?" Boogie asked placing a switch-blade to his jugular.

"No," he replied gently brushing the knife away from his artery so as not to arouse her ire.

"…You're gay? That's it right?" Beat asked half jokingly, half seriously.

"No!"

"Clutch, we don' care if yer gay, go 'head and be gay…jusht don' touch me." Soda slurred. He was obviously drunk. Garam was winning their tequila shot drinking contest.

"I'm not gay…I wanted to say…"

"Why do they always deny it?" Cube asked Combo.

"Well if he denyin' it then it means he probably still in the closet." Combo responded.

"Oh…ball up." Combo passed her his basketball. They went back to shooting around the basketball hoop that the GG's kept for some inexplicable reason.

"What? No! I'm not gay!"

"What are you so ashamed of Clutch?" Corn inquired.

"I'm not ashamed of anything!"

"Then why are you so afraid to admit that you have homosexual tendencies and that you're in the closet?"

"I'm not in the fuckin' closet!"

"Well you're not open about your homosexuality so you must be in the closet." Rythe stated.

"What the fuck is wrong with you people?" He turned his attention back to Corn. "What homosexual tendencies?"

Corn thought "like that time I met you at Kibagaoka and caught you starin' intently at that guy who was doin' tai chi with his shirt off." He paused to hit his blunt, "or what about the time we were messin' around with Cube's mood ring and…"

"You were what?" Cube interjected.

"Uh… I mean…that time you were playing 'Metal Gear' at Combo's house and when Psycho Mantis did his shit with the controller you the put controller in your underwear. We had to burn it. Evil spirits were released. Beer was served."

Everyone looked at Clutch mouths gaping. Garam had a huge smirk on his face. Beat was stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Oh, like none of you ever tried that," Clutch said in his defense.

"Ok, I'll give ya that one," Combo began "But what about the time I ain't know you was in my bathroom and I walked in and you was rubbin' baby oil on yo' chest?"

Garam busted out laughing "I 'member that shit! You started snappin' his ass wit a wet towel! He…he…hahahaha… he started runnin' and screamin' like a bitch! You chased his ass roun' yo' whole appar'ment."

Cube hit the ground laughing. Her face was red and she pounded the ground with her fist. She couldn't laugh any more. Instead she had that look on her face that you get when you've been laughing so long that you run out of breath. She gasped and continued her laughter.

Beat snickered then exclaimed "Dude, you are gay!"

Clutch looked at him, "You don't need to say shit with yo' second skin shirt and pants."

Beat shut up.

(That was just a reference to how tight Beat's clothes are…seems a little questionable to me.)

"Wait, wait, wait," Cube began as she stood up "What about the," She paused so she could calm down "the time he put on a dress, sat on Soda's lap and let us take pictures."

"I don't remember that…" Clutch said eyeing her suspiciously.

"I alsho don' r'member that," soda slurred.

Everyone looked at Cube as if searching her expression for an answer.

"Ahem…" Combo cleared his throat and leaned in close to Cube "that was um…that was s'posed to be…ya know…on the down-low. Cuz that wasn't him bein' gay it was him bein' drunk and soda bein' drunk and us messin' wit 'em."

"Oh yeah…well what about the time we were playing two on two and he patted Garam's ass after he made a three-pointer."

Garam looked at him "yeah you did smack my ass, huh?"

"How did I even get into this conversation with you bastards? I just wanted to say that I'm claiming the car over there as my property, okay?" Clutch said.

There was a pause and silence, which Combo broke within 4.336 seconds. "Nigga don't change the subject."

"Yeah you're gettin' us off topic here," Beat said.

Defeated, Clutch gave a final "I'm not gay," then went to the "second floor" of the garage, laid down on the couch and went to sleep. They kept talking about it. Just as he drifted off he could make out on last sentence. It was Cube.

"Do you think he has a boyfriend yet?"

Clutch got up at around seven knowing no one else would be awake. He put his red shirt back on over his thermal. _I can't believe those guys really think I'm gay. They had better have been joking. That shit was not cool._ He paused, _and note to self: don't sleep around Combo and Cube. I hope they didn't do something weird to me when I was sleeping._ He almost reached the exit when Jazz stopped him.

"Where're you goin'?" she asked.

_Aw man. She must think I'm some kind of perv! What else did they tell her?_ "Out for a bit."

"Is this about all that stuff they were sayin' yesterday?"

_Damn she hit it right on the money! _"No I…" He remembered the car "I was gonna go see about getting' my hands on some auto parts."

" It's seven. I don't think any auto shops are open so early. Maybe you should wait a little while."

_Fuck!_ "No that's not gonna work for me."

She sighed "This is about yesterday."

Clutch looked down at his feet. He hadn't realised he was wearing shoes instead of his skates…how many times had that happened.

"Cal… you shouldn't take what they say so seriously. So what if you've done a few things that are a little gay. So have they."

_Why does she always use my real name?_

She began to walk him towards the nearest rail and they sat on it. She put her hand on his shoulder. "Remember when Beat tripped, landed on Corn and their lips connected and Corn blushed." The memory brought a smile to Clutch's face. "See, and what about the time Garam gave Combo a back rub." Clutch had a massive grin on his face.

"Or what about the time we all put our money together and paid Cube to make out with Gum without her knowin' what was goin' on and they wound up screwin' each other…for hours."

Clutch stopped smiling "They did what?"

"Oh yeah that was just the girls…"

"You paid her to what?"

"Forget it. They'll kill me if they find out I told about the video tape."

"Video tape?"

"I…didn't mention the video did I?"

"You did now."

"No I didn't. There's no such tape."

"Let me see it."

"Later."

Clutch did a fist pump.

"Anyway," he began "I actually do want to get started on that car sometime today."

"You don't have any money how are you gonna pay for the parts you need?"

"Well, I have some old junk I've been meaning to sell; this is as good an excuse as any to actually sell it. I might end up getting enough to buy a few parts. I'll worry about the rest later."

"some old junk? What kind of junk?"

"Old skates, airbrush paintings, home-made computers, that kinda thing."

"Home-made computers?"

"Yep…like three of them…they should go for quite a bit too."

"How did you make a computer?"

"It's actually pretty easy. The first thing you do is strip down to nothing so you don't catch fire…"

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**_I hope you enjoyed that. I actually began to have a giggling fit as I wrote this. I don't have any problems with gay people…nor am I gay. Please read and review or flame whatever floats your boat. _**


	3. Late as all Hell Halloween Special P1

**_I don't own JSRF…I DO own this fic so don't plagiarize…I'll chop you good.

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_**

**_Halloween Series: Part 1 Holla-Atchula _**

**_(Pronounced: Hahl-lah At-cha-la)_**

**(Mostly Garam, Combo and Cube; others involved)

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**

"_**Keep your glory, gold and glitter,**_

**_For half, half of his niggas would take him out the picture._**

**_The other half is rich and it don't mean shit-a,_**

_**Villain: a mixture between both with a twist of liquor;**_

_**Chase it with more beer,**_

_**Tasted like truth or dare,**_

_**When he get the mic it's like the place get like 'Aaw yeah!'**_

_**It's like they know what's bout to happen**_

_**Just keep your eye out like 'Aye aye Captain!'**_

_**Is he still a fly guy clappin if nobody ain't hearin'**_

_**And can testify from in the spirit?"**_

**-"Accordion" by Madvillain (MF DOOM)

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**

_**Multi-part fan-fic.**_

_**I guess this can be considered a prologue.**_

**_It starts off a bit slow but picks up in part two. Garam Combo and Cube are my favorite characters so I like to write about them mostly._**

**_I was walking down the street thinking about a good Halloween story to write a while back. It also happens I was thinking about an episode of "Chappele's Show." That's when this hit me. I'm sure anyone who saw the episode of "Chappele's Show" with the Holla Dating Service skit will understand the central premise behind this. Also I chose "Accordion" as my lyric just for the hell of it. It's a good song. I also couldn't stop laughing after I wrote the opening sequence.

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_**

Ah yes, Halloween. A time of horror. A time of pranks. A time of beating little kids up and stealing their candy leaving them to soak in a pool of the sweetest of all treats: their tears.

The GG's were all hanging out inside an old apartment building on Dogenzaka Hill. Most of them did not have homes to go to so it was understandable that they would want to be inside rather than outdoors, what with it being all cold and what not. It was as I said before Halloween. Halloween was a special day for them. Not because they could go out and do things that were borderline inhumane to small children…but because they could do these horrible things together…together in small groups…and also they got candy.

And so they prepared to go out for whatever their reasons may have been. But what were their reasons?

Well Beat had enlisted Clutch and Yoyo to help him steal candy from small children. Rhyth decided to go along as well to make sure that Yoyo would not be robbing little kids for their threats…but they knew they could ditch her pretty easily so it was no big. They would leave at 8:00, that way they could lure the children into a false sense of security, thus making it all the more heartbreaking when they were forcibly separated from their many delicious treats.

Corn didn't actually want to leave, but Jazz roped him into a "Dia de los Muertos" celebration. Dia de los Muertos is, as many of you may know, a yearly remembrance of the dead that is, I suppose the word would be celebrated, in North and South America among Mexican and Latino communities. Corn had nothing better to do so he agreed to go to visit the grave of one of her relatives with her to pray and make an offering. (By the way I'm not of Spanish speaking decent in case you were starting to wonder.) The grave- yard was in the area of Kibagaoka Hill, so they had decided to leave at 7:00 and were no longer in the building.

Gum, Boogey, and Soda had decided to go to Kibagaoka Hill and perform a Voodoo ritual/séance. I don't have to tell you what a bad idea this had to be. They had no intention of leaving until 9:00 (because they knew the garage would be empty and no one would seem them packing up 3 dead chickens, several voodoo dolls and dozens of sharp objects).

That of course left Garam Combo and Cube. What would they be doing? Well…a costume party…as corny as it may seem. Yes that's right there would be a costume party at The Sky Dinosaurian Square…and they were invited. The only problem was that Cube didn't have a costume…or want to go.

* * *

**Old Building: Dogenzaka Hill Backstreet Area-7:30**

"But I don't want to go!"

"Well isn't that just a cryin' damn shame…cuz your ass is going!"

"But I hate costume parties…they're so corny," Cube whined.

"Yeah well that's just too bad…I've been in Tokyo for over six months and I've never been invited to a party. I'm not gonna sit this one out just because you don't want to go!" Combo bellowed at her.

Cube couldn't tell whether she should be frightened or just laugh.

"And what the fuck are you laughing at?" he shouted at her.

"Are you sure you want to wear that costume?" she asked him stifling her laughter.

Combo paused and looked down his 6' 4" 220lb frame "Why, what's wrong with it?"

"Oh…nothing" she responded.

He put his mask on his head "So how does it look?"

"It's…it…um…it looks…" Cube began but then just trailed off into hysterical laughter.

Combo was dressed as a 6'4" 220lb panda with a gigantic dome for a head and a foam tongue sticking out of a mouth that was curled into a stupidly large grin.

"Dude…beyond gay!" came from somewhere in the general area of pinball machine.

"Shut the fuck up Clutch!" Combo yelled at him. He returned his attention to Cube. "So…what are you wearing?"

"I don't know…honestly I was hoping you'd let me slide," she gave a sheepish grin.

"Well that ain't gonna happen so we gotta get you a costume. And where the hell is Garam!"

"Ooh-ooh!" was the response to his question. "Check me out!"

Combo and Cube looked Garam up and down. Finally Combo just decided to ask the question that had been drilling a hot acidic hole in the back of his skull for eight to ten seconds. "What the fuck are you supposed to be?"

"Who do I look like?"

Garam was wearing an old, double breasted, pinstriped, black suit. Underneath that he had a white shirt and a petticoat. Around his neck was what appeared to be a ruby on a gold chain. He wore a crimson cape, black gloves and shiny black shoes. He also carried a walking stick. Upon his head was a carefully placed black, wide-brimmed hat with a large crimson feather sticking out of it…

"I don't know a gay pimp?" Combo said, interrupting my description.

"No bitch I'm a vampire."

"Gay Dracula?" Cube asked.

"No!"

"Blackula?" She asked again.

"How come everything you say about us involves you saying that we're Black?" Garam asked her in all seriousness.

"I think you see an issue that I don't…and because you are."

"Anyway Blackula does seem to be the direction you're going in…" Combo stated.

"But she does that every time…"

"Blackula hush."

"Damn it! I'm not Blackula!"

"Then who are you?" the question drifted from outside the conversation.

"Mind your damn business Clutch!" Garam exploded.

He focused again on Combo and Cube "I'm Holla-atchula."

"(in unison)…Huh?"

"I'm Holla-atchula. At night when the city sleeps, I leaves me coffin, descends upon the city, creeps up on bitch's…and holla at them."

Combo laughed inside of his dome head "You what?"

"I holla at bitches."

Combo became a convulsing mass of hysterical laughter.

"Hey…Holla-atchula is not here to be laughed at by a buff-ass panda with a bobble head, okay?"

"Oh God, he's talking in the third person," was a comment from nearby.

"Get bent Gum!"

Cube tapped Combo on the shoulder "I don't get it."

"What don't you get?" Combo asked.

"What does he mean 'holla at bitches'?"

"He means he drops game (Cube shook her head). He gets digits (Cube raised an eyebrow…where had she heard that before?). He picks up girls."

Cube looked at Garam then back at Combo "What like with pick-up lines and shit?"

"Yeah."

"That's stupid (she turned toward Garam) you're stupid."

"It ain't stupid…it's brilliant."

"Brilliantly stupid…what do you do, seduce them and drink their blood after sex?"

"Who's talking to you Soda?"

"Do you?" Soda asked.

"No…for your information Holla-atchula finds drinking blood from a ladies neck uncivilized."

"He lives off of fried chicken and grape Kool-Aid," Combo whispered to Cube, who giggled at the idea of a vampire eating fried chicken.

"Hey fuck you panda!" Garam shouted "Keep talking and you won't be endangered… you'll be extinct."

"If I go extinct, I'm takin' your ass with me," was the response.

"Don't you have more important things to worry about…like finding Cube a costume?"

"Damn you Gum! Why couldn't you just keep you're mouth shut?" Cube screamed. It seemed like Gum was always ready to sell her out for one reason or another. The reason seemed to be, this time, embarrassing Cube in front of a couple hundred people.

In fact the reason was that the sooner Cube was gone, the sooner Gum would be able to break into her room (or more accurately the room she claimed as her own) and commandeer her Ouji board. They would surely need it for the séance/voodoo ritual/demon summoning.

"That was messed up, but Gum was on point…we need to procure you a costume," Combo stated, taking charge of the trio.

Garam raised an eyebrow. "Procure?" he asked.

"'Daily Dictionary,' I have words sent to my cell phone everyday, along with their definitions and proper usage in a sentence…to increase my word power."

"…you freak me out some times."

"Whatever…to the costume store!"**

* * *

**

**_What horrible, horrible costume will Combo 'procure' for Cube? Will they reach the party in time? Will Soda be possessed by an ancient demon with nine lives, a full tank and an open can of whoop-ass? I guess we'll find out next…also if you haven't done it yet check out the revisions I made to McDonalds and No Jumper Cables…keeping in mind that No jumper Cables is still a work in progress._**

_**-Peace!**_


	4. Real F'in Late Halloween Special 2

**_I don't own JSRF…I DO own this fic so don't plagiarize…plagiarizing bitch's.

* * *

_**

**_Halloween Series Part 2: the Impostor-tal _**

**(Mostly Garam, Combo and Cube; others involved)

* * *

**

"**_Hear ye, hear ye! _**

_**How dare ye  
Go up against the king who do his thing tri-yearly?**_

_**They're too carefree with their mouths around here  
Off with his head, and display it at Town Square…**_

_**On top of seven-feet spike, **_

_**make sure it's on tight,  
In light of when the peasants throw stones with all their might…"**_

_-_**"The Fine Print" by King Geedorah (MF DOOM)

* * *

**

_**It's times like these I wonder why I'm writing a story about a holiday that passed over three months ago…especially knowing I have a term paper due in about two weeks (1/18/07). Oh well…today's lyrics come from "The Fine Print," a song from King Geedorah's (MF DOOM's) album "Take Me to Your Leader." I suggest either buying the album or downloading the song.**_

**_I must admit I had writers block. But I want to finish this and then do a late as hell Christmas special. I think that would actually be funnier than a Halloween special. Let me know if you think so…whomever you are.

* * *

_**

**99th Street-7:50pm **

It was quite rare that the Immortals would be invited to a party on Halloween…actually it was rare for even one of them to be invited to a party anywhere at any time of the year…ever. They were not liked by…well…anyone really.

It was rare indeed, but it was all the more rare for them to get new recruits.

It just so happened that these two rarities met each other on Halloween…met and had a huge orgy all over the other immortal related rarities that I'd like to go into greater discussion about but would rather not waste your time with…It's not like you care.

Amon was the Immortals newest recruit…he was also late for the Halloween party. Just as well he wasn't ready yet anyway. His Immortals "new recruit" outfit (which was basically the same thing as the regular outfit just with a cut-off tank-top with the word "newbie" scrawled on the front…and no hat) was still packed safely in his back pack.

Joining the Immortals was really (for him) a matter of convenience, he happened to live on 99th street and the only gang in the vicinity was all girl so it wasn't a difficult choice. Of course the Rapid 99's would have let him join, as a gimp…so as you could imagine that was a no. And yes, dressing as a gimp is an inconvenience.

Back to the matter at hand, he had to find a place to change. It was almost 8 o'clock so the streets were full as hell…the only thing he could do was get on the highway and pray that no one would see him changing…and that Ra (the immortal leader) didn't throw him off of a platform at Sky Dinosaurian Square for being late.

He managed to get onto the highway platform and changed. As he started on his way he began to hear rapid skating. He slowly turned around…just in time to be rushed by a panda and what appeared to be Count Chocula.

Just before the odd-couple buried his face into the pavement Amon had an epiphany: Being a gimp probably had its perks.

The world went black.

**Pharaoh Park-8pm**

Cube had been waiting in Pharaoh Park since 7:45. Combo and Garam had said that they would be right back just before they went to get her a costume or at the very least a mask so she'd look halfway decent at the party.

Garam had made the suggestion of just painting a Hitler moustache on her face but Combo punched him in the head so that idea was out.

Eventually the negro tandem (yes I called them the negro tandem) returned with a costume. A mummy outfit…oddly it didn't have a price-tag… and they had no receipt…and to the best of her knowledge no money. She wanted to ask where they got it but Combo bellowed at her to shut up and go change…which made her giggle, the panda suit was far too cute to be threatening.

The mummy outfit actually looked pretty good on her…though she did wonder why the shirt said "newbie." Combo told her not to worry about it. It was time to go to the party and he didn't want to be later than he already was.

**Sky Dinosaurian Square-8:20pm**

"Shit it's about time we got here, these shorts are really riding me…where the hell did you get this thing anyway?" Cube began to bitch as she tried to remove the over-all/shorts from her ass, "My thong isn't even going in this deep!"

Garam eyed her, "Would you stop bitchin' and be glad we got you somethin' that wouldn't make you look like an-" he stopped mid-rant as his brain processed what she had just said "you're wearing a thong?"

"No…shut up."

"But you just said…"

"I just said shut up."

"Hey Combo, didn't you hear her just say that…ow! You bitch!" She had punched him in the face.

Cube looked at Combo…he was just staring at the party-goers.

"There's so many people here. We could get lost here, or get jumped. There are quite a few other rudies here."

He was right. For anyone else it would be hard to tell that there were rudies in the area, but knowing the other gangs personalities it was easy for him to pick out the rapid 99's and Love Shockers based on what they were dressed as. And of course anyone could spot the Poison Jam and immortals members…they were wearing the same stuff they usually wore. There were one or two Doom Riders too. The one he spotted was supposed to be Ghost Rider.

"So," Combo began "Do you wanna stick together for a bit and check around to see how many are really here?"

"What!" Cube shouted "You're the one that had the huge boner to get here and now you don't want to mingle?"

"I can mingle at any time, I just want to scout around first."

"Uh, dawg" Garam began "You can't wait to mingle at a party, you've got to establish your presence early or no one will be willing to talk to you later."

"He's got a point" Cube agreed "anyway, it's bad protocol. Just mix in with the crowd and try not to get spotted…it's not like they know who we are anyway…right?"

In fact most of the other rudies (well really just the Love Shockers, Poison Jam and the Ghost/Doom Rider) almost instantly caught on to them. Garam was obviously black and the weird European Dandy outfit brought on a lot of attention.

Combo was obviously the Panda because the only person in Tokyo that was anywhere near as tall as him was Prof. K and he was already there.

And they figured out Cube because wherever those two were she was usually in the vicinity.

"Yeah okay, I guess you're right…but we should meet back here in a little while to make sure everything's on the up and up."

Garam and Cube agreed to do so and they all melted into the crowd.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

"Are you sure this isn't the kind of thing we should see an exorcist about?" Boogey asked.

"Look, a hospital is just as good as an exorcist…" Gum replied.

"Buhoo gwah blah hooggah…bleh blihaba ploo-loo ghedepah…hahahaha!" Soda rambled.

Boogey and Gum stared at him. "Okay…maybe an exorcist is a better idea…but whatever we do don't tell corn what happened to him. I don't need him to get on my ass about this."

"Sure."

"Gubbah babbah blab la blooheh!"

"Is it me or does this kind of stuff only happen to Soda?"

"I think this kinda stuff happens to Clutch too…albeit much less frequent."

"For the love of God help- kubbah gabbah heh!"

"Uh yeah let's get to it…"

* * *

_**That last scene was the best idea I ever had…read and review dawgs! **_


	5. MF'n Halloween Special Part 3

**_I don't own JSRF…I DO own this fic so don't plagiarize…bitch's.

* * *

_**

**_Halloween Series Part 3: Let Me Holla Atchya! _**

**(Mostly Garam, Combo and Cube; others involved)

* * *

**

"_**Yes I'm startin' to sweat  
You know my shirt's all wet  
What a feelin'!  
**_

_**And the sound that abounds and  
Resounds and rebounds off the ceiling!  
**_

_**You gotta have it, baby  
You can't do without  
When you get the feelin'  
You've got the sounds above!  
**_

**_Put that mic in my hand  
And let me kick out the jams!"_  
-"Kick Out the Jams" by MC5 (Rage against the Machine Version)

* * *

**

**_It occurred to me that I had gotten so excited I forgot to mention that Soda was possessed at the end of the last chapter. I probably should have made mention of this before…but hey hind sight is 20/20._**

**_Anyway…I would like to thank the few of you who are still willing to check out my work even though I'm a terrible writer and take so long to update. I'd also like to thank the 12-18 of you who have read the two most recent chapters and the single one of you (Marisa-san) who reviewed and offered a few words of encouragement, that's the way I saw them anyway. Just so everyone else knows I've long sense opened the floor to criticism. I'd like to hear encouraging criticisms though…or a response of any kind…please… I feel like I'm talking to a wall. (sigh)_**

_**Also I've been feeling a little burned out lately (term paper due 2/2/07) and I haven't been giving this my full attention. Even with my full attention this might not be that funny so I would like to apologize if this chapter is a dud.

* * *

**_

**Sky Dinosaurian Square-9pm**

It had only been forty minutes and they felt like they were being perpetually watched…and the fact that they were separated wasn't helping either. They had already established that they were relatively safe at the party. If anything went down they knew they could automatically hook up with the Doom Rider and fight their way out…but that was only if he hadn't already hooked up with a love shocker, 99er or really just any random cheap skank at the party. And it seemed as if the Immortals had mistaken Cube for one of their own and she was going with the flow, so they could possibly be counted on to fight if she got involved.

Despite this, Combo was quite uncomfortable in his situation. He would have definitely felt better if he had stuck to Cube or Garam, though Garam tended to get into trouble when he knew Combo would be there to back him up. With Cube there was no telling what kind of bullshit she would get into either, but she could handle it on her own and wouldn't drag him into it…

What good could he do anyway? He couldn't see shit in his panda dome. H took it off.

"Hi," A voice from behind.

"Huh?" he turned around.

"I said Hi," A Rapid 99 girl.

"Oh…um, hi?"

"Yeah…hi. Cool costume," she pointed at his panda suit "It's kind of cute y'know? Well the heads a little over the top, but it's cute," she said as she tapped on his dome.

"Ummm…I'm sorry, who are you?"

She looked shocked then blushed and gave a weak laugh, "Oh…sorry, haha," she stuck out her hand "I'm Saya."

"Combo," He shook her hand…with his paw. "So what do _they _call you?"

"Who?" she seemed confused.

"Y'know, the 99's."

"Neon," She cocked her head to the side "Hey, how'd you know?"

Combo removed his dome, "Because that nurse get-up is dead sexy…and you have a 99 logo on your hand."

She looked down at her hand "Oh yeah…"

Cube was screaming internally. It had been about ten minutes into her chill out session with the Immortals that one of the corpses, as she called them behind their collective back, informed the rest that a new ride (a massive free-faller about one mile high) had finally opened and that he had left a guy in line so he could save their places.

So now here she was a mile in the air scared as hell (because she actually had mild acrophobia) and surrounded by guys in mummy suits…two of whom were looking at her a little too intently…or apparently at her breasts intently. Then there were the other two that were staring at her, not her breasts, a little too intently…as if they knew something she didn't know herself…where did Combo get her costume?

She looked down…the world melted into a single point of no return…she tried to keep her mind off of it…a plane shot by over head. How high up were they really? The ride itself was only a mile up, but it was on a skyscraper…a mid-sized on she thought but a skyscraper none the…

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah…" she screamed, out loud this time.

"…So anyway, y'know, dude was getting' a little out of pocket so I delivered the nicest back slap I had ever administered to anyone. And as he was layed-out on the ground I said to him 'Look nigga, you need to back up off me before something worse than a bitch slap happens to you!' Of course that was about when Combo woke me up and told me I had been knocked out for a good half a day…I gotta say I didn't see it coming, it all seemed so real…" Garam let it linger for a moment. _Was I rambling?_ "But that's neither here nor there, why don't you tell me a little about you…like for example, what's your name?"

"Huh…oh, you're done talkin'?" the Love Shocker asked him. She was dressed kind of like a kunoichi (I hope I spelled that right), a very sexy kunoichi (Well actually she was dressed like a combination of Ayame fron _Tenchu_ and Kurenai from _Red Ninja…_but I think that's a good combination if done correctly.) but she was still wearing one of their trademark eye-patches.

_Nice…I was rambling …_"Well yeah, I mean I know you don't want to hear me drone on and on…unless that's your thing, in which case I'm happy to help…"

She put a finger up to his lips, a thin smile crossed her face, "Shh…" He stopped talking, and mentally thanked her. "My name's Azumi…umm the others call me Vibe, but you can call me Azumi…for now." She paused and seemed, for just a moment, to be lost "You know, we…you've been talkin' for about ten or fifteen minutes and you haven't once told me you're name…or just what you're supposed to be…Count Chocula? Is that what you're goin' for?"

"What? No, I'm…ah fuck it…"

"No really, tell me!"

Um…it's kind of an inside joke…"

She was growing impatient "C'mon already…"

He gave a heavy sigh "I'm…Holla-atchula…" _Oh god, Cube was right! It is stupid!_

She had an indescribable look of confusion on her face "You wanna run that by me again?"

"Holla-atchula."

"You wanna explain this one to me, maybe?"

Garam thought about that one. He waited a few good minutes occasionally glancing at Azumi, who gave him her full attention. _Damn! She really wants that explanation…fuck it, you only live once!_ "Well, at night, I like most vampires, rise from my coffin deep within the depths of my castle…châteaux…well actually it's more like a villa…"

"A villa?"

"Yes, a villa in the country-side…if all goes well you may get to see it one day…"

"Heh…" she kind of laughed at that…in a "that's mildly funny" kind of way

not a "scoffing at you in you face" kind of way. "Go on," she implored.

"Well, my man-servant, Viggo, awakens me every night…and every night I decend upon a hapless village, a small town or something of the sort…" He was thinking on his feet now.

"Do you now?" she asked, mildly entertained by his explanation.

"Yes of course. It has to be a small town or a village otherwise I won't be able to find my target…"

"You specify a target?" she raised an eyebrow

"Igor finds one for me."

"I thought his name was Viggo?"

"Igor is a guy I hire out to find my target."

"So Igor and Viggo are man-servants?"

"No, Viggo is the man-servant. Igor is an employee."

"What's the difference?"

"Igor gets paid."

"What does Viggo get?"

"Not killed, may I continue?"

"By all means, please continue."

They were not aware of the dozen or so party-goers that were now listening to their conversation. Why? Because they were nosey, why else…seriously don't ask stupid questions.

"I seek out my target…"

"What do you look for?"

"Women, beautiful young women," he moved closer to her.

"Really?" she asked not moving away.

"Yes, Igor names them and I find them…to satisfy my…needs," he leaned in closer to her.

"What do you do to them?" she asked, her voice dropping low to a seductive tone.

"I…" he got behind her. "I…" her leaned into her ear. "I…" he placed his hands on her shoulders, whispering her ear.

"Yes…" she whispered.

And then he killed an oddly erotic mood. Returning to his normal tone of voice he said "I hit 'em with pick up lines."

She stopped, her eyes bugged, she couldn't help it…she laughed. "You what!?"

"I holla at 'em," he said actually trying to suppress laughter himself.

"You don't suck their blood or have sex with them or anything like that?"

"Nope I just holla…although sometimes it does lead to sex," he stroked his chin.

"Can you demonstrate?" she asked curiously…though still laughing.

"Of course!"

Garam looked around for a suitable female subject to demonstrate on; he found one (a cat girl). "Hey cat girl, can I holla atchya (at you) for a second?"

Cat girl glanced at him and began to walk away.

"Hold on where're you goin' I just wanna holla…holla holla, holla holla holla, holla-holla-holla-holla-hooooolla-holla-holla-holla-holla ha-ha-ha-ha-holla-holla! I'm-a holla, can I holla, Let me holla atchya! I'm-a holla, can I holla, Let me holla atchya! I'm holla girl can't you hear me? Let me holla atchya! I'm-a holla-holla-holla-holla-holla atchya!

"I'm-a holla bitch let me holla atchya! Bitch can't you hear me I'm-a holla atchya! Let me holla-holla-holla-holla-holla atchya! Let me holla! I'm-a holla atchya…"

SLAP!

Garam held his eye. Azumi walked up to him still laughing, "Well, that answers question two, but what about question one?"

"Question one?" he asked, looking at her through what he would now refer to as his good eye.

"Your name?" she reminded him.

"Oh right…" he stuck out his hand "Name's Holla-Atchula…but you can call me Garam."

Azumi shook his hand and smiled.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

Clutch walked up to a small child.

He picked the little boy up by his ankles and shook him…dozens of fun-size butterfingers fell out. The child ran away screaming and Clutch chuckled and scooped up the candy bars. "See Rhyth? It's easy just grab 'em and shake em," he explained.

"But it's just so mean!" she looked towards Yoyo, "Why are you doing this to children?"

"Because teenagers did it to us…It's a ceremonial loss of innocence and understanding of the true spirit of Halloween," Yoyo explained.

"Which is?"

"Doing unto others, duh."

"Yeah," Beat began "It's the circle of life: teenagers rob small child, small child understands spirit of Halloween, small child grows into teenager, teenager robs small child and the cycle continues."

Rhyth gave that some thought…a lot of thought. She then responded in a way that the boys did not see coming, "That's a bunch of bullshit! Clutch, go give that kid his damn candy or you'll be sucking melted chocolate through a straw!"

* * *

**_-That was pretty funny right? I decided this would be a good way to introduce the Love Shocker, Rapid 99 and later the Doom Rider as GG's. Eventually I want to get back to my super random story body of work…and continue working on No Jumper Cables…though that seems like a pipe dream and I'm wondering if I should even keep revising it… do me a favor and tell me if I should keep working on NJC or keep it as is…anyway, there's probably going to be one or two more parts to this series. Let me know what you thought of this chapter. _**


	6. Endless Halloween Special part4

**_I don't own JSRF…I DO own this fic so don't plagiarize…snootch 2 the nootch bitch. Read and Review.

* * *

_**

**_Halloween Series Part 4: In Which Shit Goes Sour_**

**(Mostly Garam, Combo and Cube; others involved)

* * *

**

"**_Early man walked away as modern man took control.  
Their minds weren't all the same, to conquer was his big goal,  
so he built his great empire and slaughtered his own kind,  
Then he died a confused man, killed himself with his own mind. _**

…Were only gonna die from our own arrogance."

**-"We're only Gonna Die" by Bad Religion

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**

**AssassinKyeste:_ Why are you reading this in class!? I will not be held responsible for you getting flunked…if you haven't already. But that aside thank you for the review(s) and for the love of god please write something…I want to send you a review in the near future! _**

**_I'd also like it to be known that I've actually been listening to some of the music from JSRF as I write my fic because my copy…um…had an accident and I can't find another copy. That and Dilated Peoples, MF DOOM and affiliated artists (but I think that's obvious), Cannibal Ox, Vast Aire, Jim Hendrix, Juggaknotts, the Game, and random rock groups (Sublime, 311, Social Distortion, Moorhead, the Ernie's, Metallic, Iron Maiden etc.)…because that is what keeps me going when I decide to write.

* * *

_**

**Sky Dinosaurian Square-11pm**

The party had begun to wind down despite it only being eleven o'clock. This was in large part because usually if there was a party the Rokakku Police would come in, swing night stick and bust ass. Not in a gay way of course. Fortunately they weren't anywhere to be seen…

Oh but what our heroes, by the way number at five at this time, wouldn't give for the police to come in bustin' ass and snappin' necks. You see it was about 15 minutes ago that Cube was discovered as not being an Immortal (big surprise), Garam and Azumi got on the bad side of the Love Shockers, and Combo and Saya…well let's just say there was…unpleasantness.

**Sky Dinosaurian Square-10:30-10:45pm**

**(Uh-oh! It's a throw-back!)**

_These guys really aren't too bad…I mean I don't like that so many of them are obviously planning to run a train on me at some point tonight but that aside they're pretty cool._

"I think it's about time we began," Ra…began.

Unless you don't have the memory or have just been reading and smoking weed at the same time…why you would combine that I don't know but hey if that's your thing it's your thing, you would recall that in chapter two (which was really chapter four) that I indicated that Ra was the Immortal leader.

"Begin what?" Cube, who had since gained the trust of the other mummies, particularly the ones that were staring at her breastissis.

"Your initiation…we've been on these rides all night and I think I'd rather get it out of the way than sit back and watch you pass out…"

"I don't do heights…"

"...And throw up all night…"

"I was drinking, lay off me."

"Whatever boozy…"

"Look Ra…initiation?" she was confused.

"Yeah, why else would you be wearing that "newbie" shirt?"

It was at this point that Cube put two and two together. _Oh god this a real Immortals' outfit…and it's touching my skin! Eww! Wait…they think I'm one of them! Oh shit this isn't gonna end well for me…I gotta go find Combo, he got me into this and he'd better get me out! _She recomposed herself, "Um…hey, I gotta pee…I'll be right back okay?" before he could answer she was off and looking for a big black panda.

Earlier they were dancing, and then they were getting on the rides, and then conversing, then on more rides…

Now they were sitting in the stands of one of the stage shows around the main roller coaster (the place with the rotating stage). They weren't alone, but there weren't a lot of people around either. A DJ was on the stage mixing, it was a kind of easy-listening rap mix with slow beats and precise, clever lyrics in every song. The whole place had a kind of lounge feel to it.

Combo and Saya were just sitting back and enjoying the music. It was quite relaxing. Sadly, Combo just couldn't shake that there might be something wrong. He was having a hard time enjoying himself. It was the first party he had been invited to and he was worried about his friends…_figures_. He decided to just look back towards the main party area every now and then to check and see if they were okay…or if the party was on fire.

He had also decided to remove the panda dome (two men enter, one man leaves) as it was making him sweat buckets.

"So tell me about this girlfriend of yours," Saya was asking Combo about Cube.

"Girlfriend?" He was obviously confused.

"Yeah, that girl you came in with…the one in the mummy suit."

"Why assume she's my girlfriend?"

"Well that other guy that came with you is over there raisin' hell with that Love Shocker…I guess it was stupid to assume that…"

"I wouldn't say stupid, maybe misguided…"

"Stop stallin', tell me about her."

"Why do you wanna know about her?" he wasn't sure what the Rapid 99'rs interest was in Cube.

"Because you've been lookin' around for her pretty much the whole night. It doesn't take a genius to realize somethin's goin' on there."

_Looks like she's got my balls in a vice-grip_. "Well, I wouldn't say there's anything goin' on. She's okay, but y'know…"

"No I don't know, tell me." She pushed.

"Well, I mean, she's nice to me…actually, even though she says a lot of black jokes which I think is more to piss Garam off than to be racist, she was probably the only person I've met since I got to Japan that didn't start a conversation with "So what's a giant black guy doing around here?" "

Saya nodded, not commenting but simply taking in the conversation.

"She always has my back y'know. Like, the police out here always go after me when something goes down with the GG's or any other gangs…they always single me out…anyway a few times she saved me from getting arrested…" He started to laugh, "I remember this one time they had me cornered…she came outta nowhere and flashed them! She flashed them…and I swear to God they just stood there in stunned silence with their mouths hangin'. It was the funniest shit I've ever seen in my life…and I'll say she has a pretty nice rack too." He grinned.

"Okay, tell me more," Saya implored.

"Well it wasn't the first time I've seen them…the first time was a total accident though…"

"About her, not her rack!"

"Oh…um…well she's funny…she doesn't really joke around so much around the others, but if it's just the two of us she can be a lotta fun to be around…" he wasn't just smiling, he was beaming.

"This one time we were hangin' around Shibuya Terminal and she got the bright idea to buy uncooked rice and hot sauce and feed it to pigeons, some of them kinda blew up others got diarrhea…" he stopped smiling "in the long run I suppose that wasn't one of her better ideas. Either way there was pigeon everywhere…"

"See this, what you're doing right now, just goes to show me that you have feelings for her." Saya spoke to him with an eyebrow raised.

Combo looked unaffected, but internally he was blushing. "Uh…I…"

"COMBO!" someone yelled from behind him. They turned around, it was Cube and she was somewhere beyond the realm of pissed. It was a combination of "why didn't you tell me where you got this costume" pissed and "who the fuck is this bitch you're with" pissed.

"Hey Cubie…what's the d…" at that she punched him in the mouth.

"Why didn't you tell me where you got this costume!" she turned her attention to Saya "and who the fuck is this bitch you're with!?"

See…I told you.

"Hey, do you wanna go somewhere?" Azumi was growing bored with the party.

"What me? And you? Uh…shit…yeah! No! I can't…my friends…we s'posed to have each others back, I can't just leave 'em hangin', shit might go down." Garam was visibly upset.

Azumi frowned a little but quickly recovered "That's cool, maybe we should exchange numbers though…I would like to see you again sometime…"

"Yes…yeah! That's good…that's great, yeah!"

"You're easily excited aren't you?" she smiled as she asked him that.

"I…no…yeah, sometimes y'know…" he regained his composure. "Wait…I was under the impression that you weren't really feelin' me…"

"Well maybe I'm not…maybe I am…" she shrugged "If you don't want my number we can just part ways and I'll see you when I see you…" she began to walk away.

"No no no no no no no! Gimme the number, Gimme the number." He begged.

"'Gimme the number' what?"

"Gimme the number…please?" He begged with dignity.

"And why?"

"Because I wanna holla atchya…holla-holla-holla-holla holla-holla-HOLLA!"

She giggled at that one and slowly began to recite her number to him. When he had it he gave his…then out of nowhere…she kissed him. It wasn't hard on the lips…it was a short one on his cheek…but it got the message across loud and clear…

"VIBE! What the fuck are you doing!?" They turned to see a group of Love Shockers glaring at them.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

"So that's what you do on Halloween?" Corn slurped his ramen as they walked down the street. He was referring to the Dia de los Muertos celebration that they had finished with a couple of hours ago. He and Jazz had long since left the cemetery and headed to Chuo. Corn had decided that as long as it was just the two of them he would get to know a little more about the one GG that he admittedly didn't know much about. He felt a little guilty about that.

"Yep," she slurped her ramen. Jazz was actually sort of enjoying the time they were spending together. They had never really spent much time together in the few months that they had known each other. Too bad, because even though he hadn't actually said much to her, and she hadn't really tried to start a good conversation with him, it seemed like he was enjoying the time they were spending together too. "Wanna go to an arcade?" she asked off hand.

"Too noisy…movie?"

"Sounds good."

And so it happened that they saw "Borat." The movie wasn't laugh out loud funny, but it brought smiles to their faces.

Eventually they returned to the apartment building. As they entered Jazz's cell-phone rang. It was Clutch. He, Beat, Yoyo and Rhyth were spending the night in a holding cell.

As they continued on to the apartment that they considered the "common room" Corn noticed Gum and Boogie carrying a semi-conscious Soda into another room. No doubt Combo, Cube and Garam were getting into all kinds of shit at that party. He would just go to sleep and hope they were alive in the morning.

Before they went their separate ways Jazz spoke up "We should hang out again sometime soon…"

"Yeah, definitely sooner rather than later."

* * *

_**-It's about 1:30am and I'm not sleepy but I am going to have to go back to the drawing board for ideas. I don't really think this is as funny as the other chapters. I enjoyed writing it, but I didn't have the fits of laughter I usually have when I write…but I suppose that's for you to decide. You've read…now review. I gotta catch Z's.**_


	7. Halloween Finale Finally

**_I don't own JSRF…I DO own this fic so don't plagiarize, but what's the point of saying that if you already know? Read and Review.

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_**

**_Halloween Series Finale: Whatever Will Be, Will Be…_**

(Mostly Garam, Combo and Cube; others involved)

**This Is A LOOONG One

* * *

**

"**_Disturbin The Peace, we do that funky shit,  
Hey, what can I say? We got a monkey clique!  
See Dre'll throw on them shades, and make that funky shit,  
And keep y'all women away if they got funky clit!  
Understand?_**

**_We got that dough and it get rolled up,  
You pay the price and still we got the block sold up.  
Aint nothin nice a full house don't make you fold up,  
You full of heist and try to jet and I'm like "hold up!"_**

**_God damn!_**

**_I need to say it on a megaphone,  
And tell your sister "get the fuck up off the telephone!"  
These fools is tickin me off like fifty metronomes,  
I'm takin all of ya money just call me "Pebbletone!"  
Alright?_**

**_I got the pistol and the safe key,  
You better tell your bitch to follow you to safety.  
How dare you wanna be heroes to try to chase me,  
It's Ludacris wont leave no evidence to trace me! _**

****

You know why?"  
-"Block Lockdown" by Ludacris

* * *

**Assassin K_.: Actually I wasn't going for a Jazz/Corn pairing, I was aiming for a platonic relationship…but I think that's a good ass idea though! Maybe I'll give it a try later. Also, I won't spoil the parts near the end of the main story, before the elsewheres, but suffice to say it's a little gross...funny, but gross. Trust me, you'll laugh.

* * *

_**

**Skip This Part If You Want:**

**_For every other chapter of I've been spending maybe a day, two days tops, writing each chapter…pretty much off the top of my head. I didn't just jump right into this chapter like I've been doing up until now, I actually waited a few days and seriously thought about it, mostly because I want to wrap it up in five chapters and I have a lot to type. _**

**_I've gone through a specific process of writing: Start typing, write a forward, start typing the actual story, laugh at an idea, act out the idea (seriously), repeat if necessary, finish typing, re-read and laugh again if I think it's funny, think about the next chapter when I inevitably wake up at 4am…the funny parts of the chapter. I never brainstorm._**

**_Even though I wrote each part out of order, I think I did a pretty good job. I love my writing process. _**

**_The sexual content in this chapter is, for the most part, mild…but there is a lot of it. Just skip over it if that makes you uncomfortable.

* * *

_**

**Sky Dinosaurian Square-10:45pm**

Combo held his nose. _What the fuck!?_ Cube had the nicest right hook he ever…felt really. Blood trickled down his mouth and chin. "Ah! Why!?" he cried.

"You drag me out to this party, which I told you several times that I didn't want to go to…then you dress me up in an Immortals uniform and don't even bother to tell me that little detail…now when I need you, I find you tryin' to hook up with some random broad!? What the fuck man!?" she fired off her question rapidly and in terrible anger.

"I wasn't tryin' to hook up with her, we were just talkin'! You could let me explain myself before you punch me!"

"Maybe I don't give a good god-damn what the hell you have to say right now!" she was angry. There was something else too…she was hurt.

He really hadn't been trying to hook up with Saya, but she was definitely hurt when she saw them together. _Yeah she punched you, but just swallow your pride for now. You know her; she'll cool down if you give her time._ He sighed inwardly "I'm sorry…I didn't think it mattered where I got you the costume and now, because of me, you're clearly in some sort of trouble. What's the problem?"

Cube's anger partially subsided. _Did he just apologize?_ "Okay, the Immortals really think I'm one of them…now they want to initiate me. What do I do?"

"…we can sneak out right? All we have to do is get Garam and leave without them seein' us. Easy enough right."

"Hey," Saya joined the conversation "Garam's black too right?"

"Duh…" that was Cube.

"So that's him over there?" she pointed to the roller coaster.

Sure enough, Garam was grinding it and heading straight for them. There was a ninja with him. About fifty yards behind him were about seven Love Shockers, in costume of course. He grabbed the ninja by the wrist and ducked into the same show they were in. "Dude, Panda, we gotta get outta here!"

"What the hell did you do?" Cube asked him.

"I didn't do anything, those crazy bitches are trippin' on me."

"Get behind the stage," the ninja instructed.

The DJ had stopped mixing so they were able to hide behind the rotating stage with no real trouble...aside from fitting five people behind a stage in an area about three feet wide. The Love Shockers jumped off of the rail and into the stands, but when they saw that their targets weren't there, four of them got back on the rail and continued searching. The three remaining Love Shockers began tear-assing all over the show. They ran up on random party goers removing their masks, and in some cases their entire costumes, checking to see if they were the ones they were looking for. When they were satisfied and thought for sure that the two they were looking for, a traitor and what appeared to be a fop or perhaps a dandy, were not to be found they went to catch up with the others.

When all was clear our heroes left from behind the stage. Actually they more or less fell out from behind the stage, landing in a large pile…with Combo landing squarely on Cubes' ass…

"Get off me you damned panda!"

"Sorry…" he turned his attention to Garam, who behind the stage was using him as a human shield "Now what in Gods' name did you get yourself into?"

"Nothin' man…look," he pointed to the ninja "I was chillin' with her right…"

"That's a her?"

The ninja took off the mask. She wore an eye-patch, she was a Love Shocker "Hi."

"Hello, what's your name?"

"Azumi, and you are?"

"I'm Combo," they shook hands "This is Cube," they shook hands "and this is Saya," they also shook hands. Saya also shook hands with Cube. Saya then shook hands with Garam. Garam shook hands with Cube. Combo shook hands with Saya. Cube shook hands with Combo…

"You guys are fuckin' goofy," Azumi interrupted the never ending handshake "We don't have time for this."

"She's right," Cube began, "We have to get outta here before shit really hits the fan."

Garam raised an eyebrow "You don't usually get all panicky, what's your deal?"

"I found out where you got my costume," she glared at him.

"Oh…heh heh heh heh heh…"

"What are you laughing at? If the Immortals found out who I really am they'd fuckin' skin me alive, and it's your damn fault!"

"Don't just put that shit on me," he pointed towards Combo "It's not like he had nothing to do with it."

"Oh, yeah sure blame Combo. That's just like you. Every time you get into some bullshit you expect him to fuckin' save you."

Now Combo got involved "Yeah!"

"You never just own up to what you do."

"Yeah!"

"You just pass the fuckin' buck. You need to start takin' responsibility for your own actions!"

"Yeah!"

"Stop co-signin' Combo…nobody likes a co-signer."

"Yeah!" Garam co-signed.

* * *

**Co-sign (verb) _co-signing, co-signed_: To make a brief statement as though to add to what another person has said by using the words "yeah," "uh-huh," "that's right," or by repeating the end of their sentence; Co-signer (noun): one who co-signs.

* * *

**

"Okay…we've probably got a few minutes before they make it back to the main gate," Saya began "maybe we can just head back in the other direction (she meant, of course, going back in the opposite direction of the roller coaster tracks) and just sneak past them."

"But what about the Immortals?" Cube asked "If they catch me sneakin' out I'm finished!" She was obviously quite afraid of what they might do to her if she were caught.

"Don't worry about it, it's not like they know for sure you're an imposter…how did you get that outfit anyway?" Azumi asked.

All three of the girls looked towards Combo and Garam. "What are you lookin' at us for?" they asked in unison.

"It's time you told me where you got this costume," Cube said flatly.

"Uh…"

"Uh…"

"Uh…Salvation Army?" Garam offered.

The females glowered at him.

"Alright, okay…we beat up a guy and stole it!"

"You what!?"

Combo sighed and began drumming his fingers on his dome, which he was carrying under his shoulder "We saw a guy changing into it on the overpass, so we rushed him and took it."

"Why!?" Cube demanded.

"Because we could?" Garam offered.

The females glowered at him.

The girls all headed toward the rollercoaster rail in PMS style, angry silence. Garam looked at Combo "We're in trouble aren't we?" Combo just nodded as they followed them to the rail and back to the main party. Shit was about to get really hectic.

**Sky Scraper District-11:10pm**

"Fuck was that close," Azumi was doubled over taking long deep breaths. The others nodded in agreement. They had managed to escape from the party all in one piece, but not before they got into a big-ass fight with the Love Shockers and the Immortals, then all the other gangs got involved as the Rapid 99's and Poison Jam saw it as an opportunity to crush a traitor, Cube, once and for all. The lone doom Riders, not one to be left out, jumped right into the fray, indiscriminately punching anyone that got in his field of vision. Saya wasn't involved in the fight, but she did lead the others out of the fight, out of the party, and out of harms way.

Of course that didn't stop everyone else from fighting each other.

**

* * *

**

Sky Dinosaurian Square-About Ten Minutes Ago

"Okay…we're almost home free, the Love Shockers aren't back yet and the Immortals aren't anywhere to be…"

"Hey!" Ra placed a hand on Cubes' shoulder, interrupting her and causing her mind to go completely blank…which was a rarity "We've got the sarcophagus prepped and ready so…hey, who's the panda? Cool costume…"

"Uh…you know what? I really don't think tonight's a good night for this…" Cube began.

Azumi tapped her shoulder, Cube turned to see the Love Shockers getting off of the roller coaster rails and skating in their general direction looking left then right…hunters scanning the crowds for their prey. They were no longer in costume but in uniform. They were ready for action.

"…shit. Combo…"

At the mere mention of his name Combo got between Azumi and the Love Shockers' immediate field of vision, wrapping his arms around her and absorbing her into his pandaness, shielding her from danger. He let her go when he Cube signaled that they had passed.

Once she was sure they were gone Cube heaved a sigh "Listen…Ra, I'll level with you…"she began…then quite possibly the most improbable of all things happened.

He ran straight up to Ra "Ra! Sorry I'm so late…I ran into some…unpleasantness…long story short…"

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Ra asked.

"What? Oh right, no uniform. I'm Amon…the new guy."

"The new guy?"

"Yeah…see, I was changing and I turned around because I heard a noise and this…I think it was a dandy of some sort and a big ass panda jumped me…" he turned around, there directly in front of him were: a nurse, a mummy, and a female ninja.

But more importantly there were a big ass panda and some sort of dandy trying their best to sneak away "Hey! Those are the guys that jumped me!"

It's funny how one thing can lead to another. At the shout of "…the guys that jumped me" the Love Shockers all did a 180 and headed right to the source of the shouts. And of course, who was the source but the two people they were looking for.

"Hey! You…mummy," the lead Shocker addressed Ra "You can have the other three, just give us the ninja and the dandy…"

"God damn it, I'm not a fucking dandy!" Garam shouted at the top of his lungs.

After the outburst, Ra turned his attention back to the Love Shocker "No dice. He jumped one of our guys. You get the ninja and the nurse."

She turned to face Ra "That's just not going to work for us…"

A large crowd began to form around what was soon to become a brawl. The universal chant could be heard: FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

It was then that Combo had had enough "Hey hey hey…quiet down! Quiet down!" the crowd became silent "Now look there's no reason to resort to violence," he turned to the Love Shockers "Look, I won't even pretend to know what Garam did to piss you off but I'm sure we can work it out…"

"I told you I didn't do shit!" Garam shouted.

"Shut it! Now, Ra…I know we jumped your guy and, quite obviously, whooped his ass…" he was talking about the bruises they left all over Amon "but you can't hold a grudge forever…I'm sure we could talk about this and come up with a reasonable solution." Ra and the Love Shocker looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

It was then that Saya said "I think I found a path out."

Combo sucker punched Amon "You should have stayed down the first time, nugga (Nugga: Nigga pronounced differently so as to make the speaker sound gangster. Pronounced: Nyukka)."

Garam threw up his hands in exasperation "Well why the fuck didn't we do this from the start!?" He swung and knocked out…the lead Love Shocker.

The Five as I will now call them fought their way out.

**

* * *

**

Sky Scraper District-11:10pm

Cube was doubled over, breathing heavily "Why is it we always end up fighting wherever we go?" She asked no one in particular, but the question was clearly directed toward Combo and Garam.

"I don't know."

"Because we're dumb-asses and always feel the need to instigate some bullshit?"

"I think that's the answer I was looking for…thank you whichever one of you said it."

Saya chimed in "I think they'll be fighting for about ten more minutes. We should get going."

"So we drop you off at 99th and drop her off at Hikage?" Combo asked.

"No, I helped you escape…so I can't go back to 99th street."

"I don't even wanna know what Charge is gonna do to me If I go back to Hikage Street."

"Well," Garam said thoughtfully "I guess they're with us then."

"Definitely," Combo agreed.

"Fine, whatever…I just wanna get out of this damned mummy suit!" You know who that was.

**The Path Home**

They headed towards Pharaoh Park. They made sure to get through that area as quickly as possible. Then came 99th. They could see, once again, police search lights. Fortunately they were out of the cops' plane sight so they made it through untouched. Now they were in the middle of the garage and heading to Dogenzaka Hill.

It was now a quarter past midnight now. The streets were pretty empty, with the exception of a few groups of party goers. "Anyone hungry? I'll pay…" Azumi offered. They stopped for Ramen and vending machine beer, as she didn't have much cash on her and didn't actually expect them to accept her offer.

**

* * *

**

(Attach the conversation to whichever characters you see fit)

* * *

**Ten Minutes Later**

Once they finished their "dinner" they were back on their way.

"I wonder how those guys made out with the whole stealing candy thing."

"Yeah…I can't wait to steal the fruits of their labors."

**Fifteen Minutes Later**

They started to traverse the huge hills that were Dogenzakas' name sake.

"Do you think there's something between Jazz and Corn?"

"Doubt it…they don't even talk to each other…my monies on Gum and Boogie."

"Why? Are they gay?"

"I don't know…but they sure as hell hang out a lot. They're always together."

"So are we…"

"Yeah but their togetherness doesn't seem normal."

"Shouldn't you know if your friends are gay?"

"Don't ask don't tell…"

"But you talkin' about it now."

"I said don't ask don't tell, not don't speculate."

**Ten Minutes Later**

Eventually they made it back to the apartment building.

"This is it."

"This is it?"

"This is it."

"What a dump."

"It may be a dump, but it's also home."

"And that makes it all better, why?"

"…Yeah okay, it's a dump."

**Old Building: Dogenzaka Hill Backstreet Area-12:50am (I had to add up the time.)**

Combo opened the front door and stuck his head through, "Hello? Anyone here?"

Corn popped his head out from a behind his bedroom door "What's up? How was the party?"

"Fuckin' Hell nigga…"

"Well that was kinda your fault," Cube whispered under her breath.

"Why won't you just let it go?"

"Fuck that…"

Corn began to come towards them in a beater and some basketball shorts. He looked like he had just thrown them on. "What do you mean Hell? What happened?"

"Dawg," Garam began "Let us get these costumes off and we'll tell you in a little while."

"Okay…what are you supposed to be? A-Pimp-Named-Slick-Back?"

"What? Oh come on! Why can't people get this!?"

"I don't think many people would get Holla-Atchula," Azumi told him. Garams' shoulders sunk in sorrow as she patted his head…like a doggy.

That was when Corn first noticed Azumi and Saya. "Who are you two?"

"Oh yeah…" Cube began "That's Azumi…and that's Saya, they're gonna be staying here for a while."

"Oh…uh, yeah…okay." He went straight back to his room.

"Meet us in the kitchen."

"Sure."

Saya waited for him to leave hearing distance before she spoke. "He's your leader?"

"More or less," Garam answered.

"He doesn't seem like much of one," Azumi spoke.

"What do you mean?" Combo asked.

"He seems too…y'know, passive. It's like he doesn't care."

"He leads only when it's absolutely necessary."

"Yeah…I felt the same way when I joined," Cube addressed both of them "but trust me, he's a born leader."

They all met up in the kitchen about twenty minutes later. Azumi and Saya didn't bring clothes, and they didn't want to wear their former gang uniforms as it wouldn't be appropriate. Instead they both borrowed some clothes from Cube, who was quite reluctant to hand out her clothes.

When they went into the kitchen, they sat at the table and told Corn, who was leaning against the counter, and Jazz, who had entered the room a little while after everyone else met there everything that happened that night. Briefly, the question of where the others were came up, so they found out that they were in jail for the night. Oh well…

Garam told most of his part of the story. He was highly animated: making gestures, standing up, jumping, throwing punches at the air when he described the brawl, all while occasionally stopping to take a sip from his glass of Sprite. Of course, eventually, he stopped so that Combo and Cube could speak. They were a bit less animated, but were just as funny. All in all…they enjoyed telling the story and Corn and Jazz enjoyed hearing it (Corn actually hit the floor laughing about Garams' "Holla-holla" part of the story).

Like I said, a good time was had by all, but there was one thing that they all thought was a little odd: Combo was…still in his panda suit.

"Uh…dude?" Garam started to ask "Why are you still in that costume?"

"I like it, it's comfortable."

"No it isn't…"Cube disagreed.

"Well how would you know?"

"Because," she began as she stuffed Frito's into her mouth "you've been digging in your ass all night."

"Okay, fine, yes I have…but…this suit is velvet inside."

She stopped "What seriously?"

"Yeah. Here…feel it," he said as he unzipped the suit, revealing that while he had pants on, he was very much shirtless. Cube felt the velvet. Then, without a moments hesitation, she crawled into the suit with him.

"Hey what the fuck!" was his response.

"Shut up…stop moving so much," responded to his response, as she zipped up the suit as far as she could.

"How is it?" Garam asked, trying to suppress a grin.

"Warm…well actually hot, but the velvet feels pretty g-" she stopped, her eyes bugged and her face turned red. She turned slightly so that Combo was in her peripheral. She spoke slowly "Combo…please, for the love of all that is good in the universe, please tell me that isn't what I think it is…"

"…Okay…it's not what you think it is," his face was equally as red as hers. He was lying. It was exactly what she thought it was: an erection.

"Dude…seriously…"

"Well maybe you should get out of the panda suit…"

"What's going on?" Garam asked.

"Nothing," they spoke in unison.

"He got an erection, didn't he?"

"No!" again in unison.

"He got a fuckin' boner with you in the suit?" Corn half inquired half laughed.

"…"

Jazz started laughing when they had nothing to say, they all laughed, but then she spoke. "Cube, why don't you just get out of the suit?"

"I…I kinda want to see how long this is going to last."

There was a long silence, and then Garam asked "Combo, how long can you keep it up?"

Everyone's focus shifted to Combo. "Long enough…"

"I'll put money on it if you give me an estimate."

"I'm not putting money on shit."

"C'mon!"

"Fuck you!"

"C'mon…hey, Cube, do you think you could make him keep it up for another fifteen or twenty minutes?"

"I could probably make him cum," she laughed.

There were collective "Oohs" and "Nuh-uhs," then one person in the room, who will remain nameless gave a "Prove it!"

"For how much?"

They all reached into their pockets, and whipped out some cash…plenty of cash…

Cube steeled her nerves. She took a deep breath and grabbed Combos' thighs (inside the suit). The others moved in closely and watched.

What they could see was Combo doing his best not to change his facial expressions. What they couldn't see was Cube rubbing her ass against his dick and, after a few seconds take it into her hand…this lasted for a good ten minutes.

Two minutes later: "…Uuh! ZZZZ…"

"Damn it!" She fell three minutes short of her fifteen minute goal. Cube unzipped the panda suit "I'm…gonna go take a shower…I feel kinda dirty."

"Hey, you can have the money…just for doin' it you can have the money…" Garam told her. She piled up the cash and took it with her to the bathroom.

Halfway down the hall she could swear she heard moaning coming from Boogies' room.

"Yo…" Corn directed his attention away from the panda, that now carried the sent of sweat and shame, to Garam and the two giggling girls "He's out, so you show them to their rooms."

"Which rooms?"

"Any rooms, most of them are empty anyway."

"Done deal, ladies if you would please follow me…"

Corn looked over to Jazz, the last conscious person in the room besides himself "Get his feet." They carried him to his room, stripped him of his panda costume, and tucked his penis back into his pants.

They left, closing the door behind them.

As they walked down the hall together, Corn suddenly stopped. "Do you want to go back out or something?" he asked her.

"For what?" she answered his question with another question.

"I don't know…anything."

She paused for a moment "Uh…yeah, sure."

They didn't take much time getting ready, just threw on the clothes they were wearing earlier. They had no reason to leave…it was 1:45, there wouldn't be much for them to do. This did not discourage them. They were intent on finding something they could do…together.

They closed the door and took a walk.

**

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**

Start Intermission: Go get a snack or something. I don't mind.

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**End of Intermission: I hope you enjoyed your snack!

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**

**Elsewhere- 12:30am (back track…this is a long one) **

**RATED M for sexual content (I don't really think it deserves an M, but I feel obligated to place it there), I'm not very good at writing this kind of stuff. Shoujo-ai**

Boogie was lying across her bed. Her head was at the foot of her bed resting her feet against the pillows. Gum leaned her back up against the foot of the bed and to Boogies' left. A shoe-box full of magazines lay open on the floor next to Gums' helmet.

"I can't believe we actually got that demon out of Soda," Gum said as she wiped sweat from her brow.

"Yeah, good thing we had some holy water," Boogie replied as she flipped through a Penthouse from Yoyos' stash. "Wow…check her out," she said as she showed Gum the magazine.

Gum, who was painting her toe nails electric yellow (think Oregon Ducks yellow), glanced at the photo Boogie was pointing at "Nice…we didn't have holy water."

Boogie looked up at Gum "What did you think I hosed him down with?"

"That was tap water from a garden hose."

"I prayed on the hose, thereby making it holy water."

"Or it could be argued that the demon succumbed to tap water."

"Let's agree to disagree." Boogie returned her attention to the porn magazines scattered all over the floor. She picked up a Playboy and unfolded the center-fold.

Gum watched as her friend flipped through the porn "Where did you get those anyway?"

"I told Yoyo that he could hide them in my room. He's been having a lot of sex with Rhyth lately and he doesn't want her to find them because he'd be right back to masturbating alone on a Friday night," Boogie explained.

"Why are you reading them?"

"Because I can."

"Isn't he gonna get mad if he sees them all over the floor like that?"

There was a loud thud on the door. They looked up.

"Hey! Clutch, Beat, Yoyo, and Rhyth are in jail. They should be back tomorrow afternoon," Jazz called through the door.

"I'll thank you not to kick my door down!" Boogie called back to her. She turned to Gum "I guess that answers that question, got another one?" she asked as she returned her attention to the porn.

Gum resumed painting her nails "What do guys keep those around for? I mean, I'd think that once a guy got a girlfriend and regular sex that they wouldn't need them."

"It's not about when they don't need them, it's about when they do need them."

Gum looked blankly into space as she processed what the girl next to her just said; she then turned to her "care to explain that?"

"Well," Boogie began, looking directly at Gum "If you have a boyfriend do you masturbate?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think about him when you masturbate?"

"Well…yeah."

"But if you break-up do you think about him when you masturbate?"

"Um…"

"Honest answer."

"No."

"Who do you think about?"

"Um…" _Make something up, make something up!_ "Brad Pitt."

Boogie raised an eyebrow "Brad Pitt?" She asked with a skeptical smirk at the end of her mouth.

"Okay fine, I make up a guy," Gum admitted.

"…Cool…" Boogie picked up a copy of Juggs.

Gum gave a nervous chuckle. _She believed me? Thank God!_

"Anyway, my point is that guys lack the creative ability to do something like that, so they look at porn. That way they can fantasize about whatever random girl they're looking at and get off."

"Oh." Gum thought about that.

Boogie let her wrists go limp as a thought crossed her mind "of course, I've never really figured out why guys take naked pictures of their girlfriends…y'know, if they know that at some point they'll probably brake up with them. "

"I think that's supposed to go with fore-play, y'know?"

"But I just don't get it…what's that all about?"

"It's hot…and it makes them horny."

"So, you've done it before?" Boogie asked.

"…Yeah…kinda…"

"Did you like it?"

"Yeah I guess."

"…and you don't think it's weird that an ex-boyfriend still has naked pictures of you?"

"Yeah I do, but it doesn't make me too uncomfortable."

Boogie was silent for a moment "So you aren't uncomfortable with the thought that a guy somewhere might be beating his dick to you…or that you might be on the internet right now?"

"What's with all the questions?" Gum was getting agitated.

"Okay, you're right."

They were quiet for a few minutes. _Don't be afraid of her reaction. Just put it out there, you've only got one shot!_ "What if I took pictures of you?"

Gums' eyes bugged out as she turned to Boogie "What if you what?"

"Would it make you uncomfortable if I took pictures of you naked?"

"…Yeah…"

"And yet you'd let a guy keep naked pictures of you knowing that he'd just jack off to you and possibly put you on the internet?"

"How do I know you wouldn't do the same?"

Boogie looked at her "Because I'm your friend...I'd never put you on the internet."

"But you didn't say you wouldn't masturbate to me."

Boogie stared blankly into space. _You've gotta say something…_ She nonchalantly rolled her shoulders "I guess I didn't."

Gum looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Look if it makes you uncomfortable, I'd let you take a pictures of me…so we'd be even." It turned from a hypothetical question to a proposition.

Gum stared blankly at her. Eventually she heaved a sigh "You wouldn't show them to anyone, would you?" she asked.

"Of course not. You're my nigga…niggette…nigga-rita…I wouldn't do that to you. It would stay between us."

"Okay…"

Boogie got a camera, a Polaroid. She directed Gum to lie down on the bed. She then got onto the bed and sat on her knees. "Un-zip the front of your skirt." Gum did as she was told, un-zipping down to her belly button. Boogie held her chin as she thought. "Your panties…slide your panties down to your knees. And spread your arms out, no…put your right arm on the pillow and your left arm across your waist." Gum did as she was instructed.

_Oh my god…she's so hot!_ She reached out and re-adjusted Gums' skirt so that her breasts were as exposed as they could be without showing her nipples. "I'm going to take four pictures then it's your turn, okay?" Gum nodded. "Look towards the camera…part your lips a little." She took the picture.

Over a span of about ten minutes Boogie took the other three photos. Now it was Gums' turn. She had put her skirt back on and was in the middle of taking the last picture. Boogie lay completely naked on the bed now. Gum took the picture, she was done but now her heart was pounding…deep in thought she wondered if it would work. She turned toward Boogie, who was still naked from the waste down. "Hey…" that got her attention "would it make you uncomfortable if I asked to take a few more pictures?"

"Uh…no…sure, go ahead."

Gum advanced on her. "Lie back down…now roll your shirt up…good. Now…I need you to…to open your legs…just a little."

Boogies heart skipped a beat…but she did as instructed. She watched as Gum got onto her knees. She leaned back a little bit so she could get her whole body in the shot…"Just get everything below my neck."

Gum looked up to her and gave a weak smile, then nodded. She readjusted the shot and took the picture. It was then that Boogie took the camera from her. She took her by the wrist and pulled her closer to her. She didn't need to do much leading, Gum crawled up to her and sat face to face with her. Boogie put the camera down on the bed and wrapped her now free hand around her. _This is it. _She, very softly, kissed her on her lips and leaned backward so that Gum was on top.

It took an hour but, eventually, they finished. They lay in the bed in an embrace, Gums' face buried in Boogies chest. Eventually Boogie asked Gum the one thing that had been nagging at her the entire time "Gum…do you really just make up a guy when you masturbate?"

"…No," Gum blushed as she prepared to finish her response "I think about you."

Boogie smiled and slowly drifted into sweet dreams. _I love you…_

**

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Elsewhere-1am

"Hey, c'mon" Clutch whined "let us out!"

Rhyth sighed "I told you, you should have apologized to that little boy."

"Apologizing wouldn't have gotten us out of jail."

Yoyo turned his head toward clutch "That cop said it would've."

"Oh come on…you believed that? He had to be bullshittin'."

Beat rolled over on the holdin cell bed "his exact words were, 'If you apologize to that little boy and give back his candy, I'll let you off the hook.' Why would he lie?"

"Why wouldn't he?"

"Because it'd be unnecessary? "

"Yeah seriously Clutch…just shut up. We'll be out of here in the morning."

Clutch thought about that for a minute "…Let us out!"

**

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That's The End!

**_-I really hope you enjoyed reading that…it took me three days just to type it. I realize that there were parts where I could have elaborated or simply made thing a little clearer for you. I think I'll work over the whole series and make revisions to it…later. For now I'm going to rest and come back to writing shorter, one-shot stories. Also I came close to putting in another elsewhere that would have illustrated Jazz and Corn coming very close to having sex but getting interrupted by "the five" coming home. Also I want to go back and redo the cumshot and have a different ending for after Corn and Jazz leave that would be Combo/Cube._**

**_I guess I'll add that a little later…for now I need a break. Review this chapter and the whole five chapter series if you don't mind (give me a score or a grade or something)._**


	8. Follow the Leader

**_I don't own JSRF…I DO own this fic so don't plagiarize. Aren't you sick of seeing these? I know I am. They're fucking everywhere!!

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"**_I'm a b-boy  
Standin in my b-boy stance,  
Hurry up and give me the microphone before I bust in my pants;  
_**

**_The mad author of anguish; my language, polluted;  
Onyx is heavyweight (Sonsee: And still undisputed!!)…  
_**

**_He took the words right out my mouth and walked a mile in my shoes,  
I've paid so many dues, I feel used and abused.  
And I'm... so confused…  
umm, excuse me, for example,  
I'm the inspiration, of a WHOLE generation…  
And unless you got 10 Sticky Fingaz, Its straight imitation,  
A figment, of your imagination…  
But but but but wait it gets worse…  
I'm not watered down so I'm dyin of thirst!  
Comin thru wit a scam, a foolproof plan  
B-boys make some noise, and just, JUST SLAM!!"  
_-"Slam!" by ONYX (Sticky Fingaz Verse)

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**Follow the Leader **

**Set a few days after chapter 7

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**Assassin K: _I have at this point in time (2/20/07 2:00pm) 238 hits and 9 reviews. You have given me five of those nine reviews. I greatly appreciate that. It's gratifying to know that you are willing to take a moment of your time to let me know what you think of my work…really. I don't want this to come off as weird, you understand, I just wanted you to know that I appreciate that. _**

**_Again thank you very much…and for the love of God, write something…I want to see what your mind can come up with.

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_**

**Everyone Else: _I got a sudden stroke of inspiration…this is based on what Beat and Clutch say to Corn after you recruit them in the game. It's not really intended to be funny. I just occasionally like to write something that lets you get to know the characters a little better._**

**_I finished the Halloween series…but, I decided to use the same setting. Also I plan to keep the same characters constant, so Azumi and Saya are permanent characters…though they aren't in this piece., and of course there will be a permanent Immortal, Poison Jam and Doom Rider…eventually._**

**_Also I want it to be noted that the lyrics I place at the top of the page for each ficlet more than likely have nothing to do with the storyline, they are really just the songs I listen to as I write…they set a good mood for me, y'know?

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It was a little over four days into November now. Nobody really wanted to talk about the "Halloween incidents", which is what they now called them, which was just as well…Combo had a huge blank space in his memory and couldn't remember some of what happened after they reached home and Cube wasn't going to tell him. Soda only had partial memory of his ordeal, which I chose not to go into great detail about for a few reasons all my own, and Gum and Boogie were fairly certain that no one knew about their…um…experience, which they sure as hell weren't going to tell anyone about…though they did have another…and another…and another…

Anyway…truly nothing good had come of Halloween (except for the whole "lesbians" thing) …well almost nothing…

In the four days following Halloween Corn and Jazz, who up until then would hardly speak more than two words to each other on a daily basis, had become quite good friends. They spent a large amount of time together in those four days, using the time to learn about one another. As it happened they learned that they enjoyed similar things. It was during their mutual enjoyment of one of these activities, a chess match…in which a blunt, 100yen and a bag of Doritos were the prizes that a conversation began:

**Rundown Apartment Building on Dogenzaka Hill-1:30am "Living Room" **

"…Got your rook," Corn spoke in a monotone voice. It was getting very late, and he was getting tired. It usually didn't take him so long to beat an opponent at chess. And yet, here he was, hat and coat on the ground, in his lightning yellow shirt and bare socks, trying to break a stale mate.

Without her remaining rook she was down to her king, queen, four pawns and a single knight.The problem was that she had been holding on to those pieces for about three hours now. He was down to three pawns, a rook, his king and his last…

"Bishop…" Jazz picked Corns' bishop up off of the board and placed it with the group of white chess pieces she had been holding hostage. Corn sighed, that was quick…now he had to come up with a way to pull victory out of his sweet ass! But how was he supposed to…

He noticed something out of the corner of his eye…she was staring at him. She had been staring at him the whole time they were playing but this time it was different, she looked like she wanted to say something. "What is it?"

"I've just been wondering…why exactly are you the leader?"

He paused "What do you mean?"

"I've just been kinda wondering why you're in charge of the GG's. No offense, but you don't seem like the leading type…"

Corn gave a weak smile and a low chuckle. "Can't always judge a book by its' cover…" he made a move, setting up a buffer zone around his king.

Jazz began to make a move but quickly withdrew her hand from the queen. "It just seems like a leader would have some sort of motivation or give orders or do something to show that they're in charge. You've never done any of that…since I've been here at least. You just kinda let everyone just go do their own thing and don't even seem to care what they do."

"You're saying you'd like to see me give orders for a change instead of just lettin' you do you?"

"I'm not sayin' that. I jus' kinda wonder if lettin' us do whatever we want all the time is the most affective form of leadership…"

Corn turned his attention completely away from the game and focused on Jazz. "How do you mean."

She thought for a moment. "Well, let's take Cube for example. She ruled Poison Jam with an iron fist. They were a freakin' well oiled machine, until she joined us…when she left they were doin' their own thing for a while and fell apart."

"Bad example…" he said in a sing song tone of voice.

"Okay fine…how about this? The Rapid 99's and Love Shockers don't constantly take orders, but they have a strong leader who steps up and takes charge when shit hits the fan. That never seems to happen with us."

"When's the last time shit really hit the fan?" he looked back down at the chess board.

"Well let's see, less than a week ago: Cube, Combo and Garam were almost killed, Clutch, Yoyo, Rhyth and Beat were arrested, and Soda was possessed…" she folded her arms, "if that's not shit hittin' the fan…"

"Did everyone work out their situations?" he asked her as he moved his rook all the way across the board.

"Uh…yeah I guess…"

"Then there wasn't a reason for me to involve myself. The situations were resolved."

"But that's exactly my point, you could have gotten involved in two of those three situations…I mean we passed by and saw them getting into that shit…"

"Ah, I see your point…but let me ask you this…what good would it have done if I had gotten involved?" Jazz kept her gaze on him as she thought. "The thing that happened with Soda, hell, there wasn't shit I could do about that…I don't know how to exercise a demon. And as for beat and the others spending a night in jail? Shit, it served them right. Rhyth tried to stop them and they wouldn't listen to her, they don't really listen to me until they get into trouble, so it would have ended the same damn way. They would have spent the night in jail, except I would have been with them."

"But you wouldn't even give them a word of warning or anything like that."

"I gave Gum a word of warning before we left for the cemetery, the same for Clutch and Beat…really it was a matter of Beat dropping the ball, he knows better and he's usually more careful," He looked at the wall, or through the wall. Jazz moved her queen.

"So if you knew they were gonna get into some shit, why didn't you come up with something else for them to do, y'know send them all on a mission or something?"

Corn smiled and looked back to Jazz "Where's the fun in that?"

"You could lead in a different way…couldn't you just, y'know, take charge for once?"

"Should I come in and go out kickin' and screaming? Would that work? Look, I don't like to take orders and because I don't like to take orders, I don't like to give orders either. It doesn't feel right to me."

He stopped and thought for a moment, "When you started talking about Cube and Poison Jam you weren't really that far off. See, the whole reason she even ran them like that was because of what happened between her and Rapid 99. It's a long story. Basically, she was running them like I run all of you. Everything was cool until the Love Shockers started trying to push into their territory, keeping in mind that the Immortals and Poison Jam weren't formed up yet. Anyway, up until that point shit was cool; she wasn't too demanding and kept them on a pretty long leash…probably no leash at all…but when the Love Shockers started feuding with them, well, it just wasn't something Cube was used to dealing with."

"Since she hadn't really dealt with that kinda thing before, suffice to say shit didn't go too well…you weren't around back then but the 99's used to have Chuo under their control, along with Kibagaoka Hill. They lost Chuo to the Love Shockers. The Rapid 99's placed all of the blame on Cube and before she knew it their current leader, Skyline, took complete control and threw her out. Long story short: she organizes Poison Jam, takes over Rokkaku-Dai Heights, which cuts the 99's off from Kibagaoka Hill and starts a huge rivalry with them."

Jazz, who had been listening attentively, spoke, "Lovely story, what's the point?"

Corn sighed "The point is," he began as he flicked her on the nose with his index finger "she changed the way she lead because of an outside influence; she went from being pretty lackadaisical to being a drill sergeant…are you gonna make a move or not?"

Jazz moved her pawn to the end of the board. It lined up diagonally with his king "Queen me and checkmate." She got up and stretched. Looking down at Corn, who was in a state of stunned silence, she said "Let's go to the 'kitchen,' I'd like some tea…or coffee…or whisky…well really what ever we happen to have there."

* * *

As it turned out there was indeed tea…and chocolate cake…and ramen. Corn slurped down his ramen as Jazz enjoyed her tea and cake…and a little whisky, as there was no heater.

"So why did Cube join us anyway?" she asked.

"Ee aid…slurrrrp…she said she was burned out with leading gangs."

"What happened with Poison Jam?"

"Well they pretty much fell apart. That's the problem with that style of leading, if you leave your subordinates to their own devices, well, they fall apart."

"How does that help your case?"

"I use a light touch…see if I did too much you would rely too heavily on me, if I ever left the whole gang would fall apart. The flipside to that is, if I do too little you lose respect for me, which could lead to someone removing me and taking control. That's why I pick and choose what I involve myself in. I relax until something real big happens, then I step up to the plate."

Jazz took a sip of her tea, "What did you mean someone else would take control? You mean like Gum or Cube?"

"Yes and no. If Cube has too she'll take control since she is qualified. But, like I said, she's pretty burned out on leading and doesn't want to be forced into that situation again. Gum'll do the same if she has to, but she really isn't interested in the job…unlike you, she's actually seen me make tough decisions and wants no part of it."

"That's all, jus' those two?" she asked just before she munched on some cake.

"That's who's qualified…the only person that has shown serious, if not too much, interest in leading is Beat…and it'll be a cold day in Hell before I hand the reins over to him."

Jazz cocked her head to the side "What's wrong with Beat?"

Corn was silent for a moment but eventually spoke up "He just doesn't have the skills to be an effective leader."

"That's it?"

He looked at her through the tops of his eyes "That's it…"

She got the feeling he didn't like Beat much. She wanted to ask him about that, but the look on his face told her it was best not to pry.

They finished their snack in silence. They soon got up and prepared to go to their bedrooms, which were at the back of the hall and across from each other. As they walked into the hall Jazz grabbed his hand, "I want to see you make a tough decision…"

He looked away "I told you, I don't like to make decisions until it's…"

"Absolutely necessary...yeah I know," she looked up at him, pulling him closer to her "My room or yours?"

Corn looked down, grinning. He was quiet.

"Well?" she pressed.

"That is a tough one…" he laughed.

She gave him a playful shove and let out an, exaggerated, exasperated sigh "C'mon…" she said as she led him into her bedroom.

* * *

_**-Corn's gonna get some booty, Corn's gonna get some booty…ahem…I hope you liked that. Don't complain about humor…I already said it wasn't supposed to be funny. I'm gonna write a few more short ones like this (only funnier) then I'm gonna go into a series…this time however I'd like you to give me a few ideas. Seriously…no idea is too boring or borderline stupid for me to consider using. It would be a big help to me. **_

_**I Am the Galactic Inquisitor…REVIEW ME!! (venture brothers joke.)**_


	9. Swing Blades

**_I don't own JSRF…I DO own this fic so don't plagiarize. I can't believe how many people are checkin' this out….really; I didn't think I'd get 30 hits in three days.

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"**_You ain't a convict, you got caught jaywalking,_**

**_And you don't know the alphabet, but you still talking;_**

**_Well I got a blade too,  
And I know it's sharp enough to cut you…  
They call me starvin' Harlem, scissor tongue, I lick tissue,_**

**_And pardon me, my lava just spit almost hit you._**

**_You know I got lava spit and got a lot of it,  
We can call it in the air, this is for rain drop missiles."_**

**- Cannibal Ox: "Straight off the D.I.C."

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**Swing Blades**

**Corn's Switch Blade **

**_This is my sad attempt at drama. I sincerely apologize to anyone who happens to be a fan of that particular genre. _**

**_It's kind of long. I decided for this to be a kind of flashback…a "throwback" as it were…I actually was gonna use this in another fic I started writing but eventually removed from the site after maybe two chapters. I decided to change some stuff and finish the story. Not funny…though not every story will be funny...I think.

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**Abandoned Apartment Building on Dogenzaka Hill-Nov 7th**

"How did you get that thing anyway?" was the question posed by Yo-yo, "I've never seen you use it before."

"Come to think of it," Rhyth started, "I didn't even know you had one. How did you keep THAT a secret?

"Yeah yo, what's the deal?"

Corn had an answer (which was neither a good one, nor believable one) prepared for just this occasion. "Well," he started, "a couple of weeks ago I was out around Kibagaoka Hill. I was just doing a little skating on the rooftops around the top of the hill, when I fell into that room, you know the one, it has all those cats in it. I was down there, and out of nowhere as soon as I got up, because I landed on my back, a fuckin' Immortal ran up on me! We started up, I laid him down, and he got up. When he got up, he pulled this blade out and tried to get at me..."

Gum was standing in the doorway and heard him telling his lie. She was going to say something, but, as he finished telling the story about how he disarmed an Immortal and kept his knife after declaring it "found property," decided it really wasn't worth it. No doubt they wouldn't believe it. No one did.

"Are you serious!?"

"I'm totally serious," Corn said smiling.

"No way, yo! Fuckin' awesome!"

"Yo-yo, you shouldn't swear so much."

"I'll say what the fuck I want."

"See there you go again!"

"What are you, the fuckin' FCC?"

Corn knew they couldn't just believe a total lie like that. If they didn't believe him however, they didn't really show any sign of it. They just walked off arguing about something totally different. Those two never seemed like they kept one thing on their respective minds for too long. Either that or they had A.D.D.

"So, how many times are you going to tell that bullshit story?" Gum asked as she casually strolled up to Corn. "When everyone stops asking, I'll stop lying," he answered.

"There you go again."

"Well if it's any consolation, I really did pick it up in a fight."

"Okay, now what's the catch?"

"I haven't got a clue," he paused, "what the fuck you're talking about." He smiled and skated off. As he headed for the front door, he stopped and turned. He put his hand up to his lips and did one of those kissing waves from the dating game. He then turned and left for the rest of the day.

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Well, you'll be happy to know that Corn wasn't just lying his ass off. He had indeed gotten that switch blade during a fight. It wasn't, however, with an Immortal. How could it be? Those mummified bastards hadn't been seen for about a month and a half when he got the knife. Nor was the fight at Kibagaoka Hill. It was at Dogenzaka Hill.

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**The Garage-August 3rd (1 week after Gouji's disappearance)-4pm**

Corn had a pretty big problem, or at least it was in his mind. It was now August, that wasn't the problem. Next month would be September, not a problem. The problem was the string of months following September: October, November, December, January and February. Fall and winter were coming and the Garage was outdoors. There were no walls and no roof, not even a damn canopy.

This wasn't the only problem that Corn had. It had come to his attention that, with the exception of himself, Gum, and of course Garam, Cube and Combo (who, at the time, were all sharing Combo's apartment on Hikage street) the GG's really had no place to live and were actually sleeping in the garage. The garage was a cool place to hang out, but it was no substitute for an actual home.

He had almost everyone accounted for and decided that, barring any unseen developments, they would be able to divide up the remaining GG's and allow them to live with the ones who had homes (sadly less than a month later the ones with homes would lose them), though Combo would only be able to support one more as he was already almost out of room.

He knew that Jazz, Boogie, Rhyth, Yoyo, Clutch and Soda were homeless and pretty much backpacking around the city. The only one that wasn't actually accounted for was Beat. No one actually knew whether he had a home or not. From what he had heard from the homeless GG's, Beat did in fact have a place to live. However, it seemed he would occasionally decide to sleep at the garage. It didn't make sense to Corn. If beat lived somewhere why wouldn't he just stay there?

Corn didn't know a lot about Beat. He admittedly didn't like him much either. No one was exactly sure why and he chose not to elaborate on the subject if he could avoid it. Any other day he really wouldn't give a fuck about whether Beat was homeless or not.

However, given the situation, he felt it was necessary to make sure Beat did have a home. If he did he could share in the task of boarding up the others.

He knew that Beat supposedly lived on Dogenzaka Hill. After asking around, he eventually found out the beat lived up the road that usually had a "no entry" sign posted (the street that you aren't allowed to go up, and are immediately turned around on by the half-pipe). After about another hour or so of asking around (and having to use Beats real name), Corn was led to a five story, gray apartment building. According to the information that Corn had gathered, this is where Beats parents were supposed to live. Reluctantly Corn made his way into the building. What if this was the wrong place? "Note to self: stop asking random people for information," Corn mumbled to himself.

There was a directory on the first floor. He looked for the name "Beniya" on the apartment directory. _Fourth floor, apartment 4-C_. He found his way to the apartment. After knocking he waited for a couple of minutes. No answer, he knocked again. "What!?" was the response from inside.

Corn wasn't expecting that. He stammered for a few seconds, "I-I'm here to see, I mean I'd like to see Beat I mean Taisuke. I'd like to see Taisuke." He waited, finally there was a response, "Taisuke…doesn't live here."

"Taisuke Beniya?"

"Never heard of him."

"I was told that …"

"Look fucker, Taisuke doesn't live here. Now get away from my door or I'll call the cops on your ass!"

It was at that point that Corn decided to leave.

It didn't make any since, Corn was pointed directly to that apartment building and there was no way that "Beniya" being listed among the tenants was a coincidence. On top of that the man at the door was overly hostile and seemed to grow even more hostile at the mention of Beats' real name. It all didn't add up too well but Corn couldn't do much about it; the guy clearly wanted him gone so Corn left. He would have to come up with another way of finding out what he needed to know. The thought of just asking Beat did cross his mind but it soon occurred to him that Beat wouldn't volunteer information about himself so easily. Only one other idea crossed his mind. It wasn't the best idea he had ever come up with, but it was the only idea he had.

**The Garage to Dogenzaka Hill-2am**

Corn stayed at the garage a hell of a lot later than he usually did. It was all part of his plan, if he was going to follow Beat he would have to wait until he left. Beat left the Garage at 2:10, Corn left at 2:15, a few minutes later than he wanted but just long enough not to arouse suspicion. Beat was moving slowly so Corn caught up with him pretty quickly. This was a delicate operation; Corn would have to stay 30 yards behind Beat, no more, no less. Corn followed him all the way to Dogenzaka Hill. Beat began to speed up; he dropped into the residential area. Corn didn't follow him down he jumped across to the next building. He jumped down from the building. When he landed he saw Beat going down the curve of the first hill. He waited at the top of the hill and finally rolled down the side of the hill as Beat went around the corner to the next hill.

Corn did the same thing at the next hill, then the next. At the upslope he went the long way. Beat went straight up the side of the hill. Beat went straight through the record store so Corn jumped from roof to roof. Corn stopped on the last roof and ducked down. Beat had stopped in front of the backstreet and was looking around to make sure he wasn't being followed. When he was satisfied he went down the street; Corn could only assume he hadn't been seen. He jumped off of the roof and followed Beat again. As he followed Corn began to think about what had transpired less than twelve hours ago. It didn't make sense to him. _Why would everyone I ask point me towards that apartment building if he doesn't live there?_ They kept going. Eventually he saw the apartment he had visited; it was here that Beat stopped. Corn hid behind a mail box.

Beat just stood there looking at the building. Corn was unsure. Beat seemed unsure of whether or not he should enter the building. Time passed, every second felt like a minute. Time passed until finally…Beat kept skating. _Just what I thought._ Corn was sure now; Beat didn't appear to live there, but the long pause confirmed that he had lived there at some point. _His parents must have kicked him out._ Those were the only people that corn could imagine were living in that apartment. _Assuming they did kick him out_…Corn always tested theories in his mind, _where does he live now? Well I guess there's only one way to find out. _Corn kept following him; it was, after all, the only way to find out.

It was a lot easier to follow Beat once they passed the apartment He wasn't racing down the hill now; he was actually skating at a slow, almost casual pace. It wasn't easy to follow him though. Beat went through several alleys and backstreets to get to his destination. After a while Corn found it difficult so keep track of where he was. He started to see rundown buildings all around. Occasionally he saw what looked to be prostitutes waiting on corners. _Prostitute, prostitute, liquor store, prostitute…where the hell is he going!_ This was obviously a bad neighborhood and obviously one that Corn was not familiar with. He found himself wanting to just turn around and go home. Every time he felt that way he had to remind himself that he had given himself a task that he must complete…and anyway he didn't remember the way back.

Corn had always set strict standards for himself. One of these was that he would never carry a weapon on his person. He felt that it was unnecessary and that if there was a dispute between himself and another person, it would suffice to use his fists. Corn studied his surroundings. He soon began to regret having set that rule for himself. This was a dangerous place to be, at any time of the day, so why would Beat come all the way out here so early in the morning? Corn checked his watch, _about four o'clock_; he had been following Beat for nearly two hours now. _When is he going to stop?_

It's strange how your thoughts can seem to, at times, dictate the behavior of others. At almost the exact instant that that thought crossed Corn's mind…Beat came to a stand still. Corn, sensing his cover was blown, ducked into an alleyway and peeked his head around the corner. _What's he doing?_ Beat approached an ugly, dilapidated, pea green, two story residence. He went inside.

Corn stepped out of the alley. He approached the house. It was run the hell down. There were people outside. They were leaned up against the wall of the house, some of them scratching themselves, some of them seemingly asleep…_Junkies…is Beat a junky? This is all fucked up…_ It was indeed all fucked up but then again it was also an opportunity for Corn to maybe get rid of Beat, or at least make sure he never rose to a position where he could take over the gang. He looked around for someone that looked sober enough to speak to. A dark haired teen sat in the fetal position a few yards away, he had a faded green jacket and maroon pants. Corn approached him.

"Hey you…hey…" Corn spoke to him, the guy was clearly spaced out. Corn felt a migraine coming on. He decided to wake the guy up_ …the fuck is he gonna do about it?_ He grabbed his head, pulled it forward and…**WHAM**! He slammed his head into the wall "Wake up!"

"I'm up, I'm up…" the impact of his head against the wall sent the guy falling out of space and crashing back down to reality. "Ow! What the fuck…who are you? You holdin'?"

"No, I ain't holdin'…I'm here to ask some questions."

"People don't usually ask questions around here…bad things happen to people who come around askin'…" he said to Corn as if to make a threat…but he was weasely and indirect.

The mere thought of being threatened by a junky pissed Corn off in ways he never thought possible. He slammed the back of the junkies' head against the wall again

"Ow! Shit man!"

"I'm not from around here. Now shut the fuck up!" Corn lifted him so that they were eye to eye "I'm looking for a guy named Beat, maybe you've seen him…thin guy, red hair sunglasses, maybe on skates?"

The junky thought for a second. He was sure he just saw a guy fitting that description go inside "Nope…never seen him before."

Corn spun him around and slammed his face into the wall…harder than before. He quickly turned him so that they were face to face. Blood was running out of the guys' nose "Maybe I should rephrase that…I'm looking for Beat. I saw him go in there maybe two minutes ago. You were sitting right where you could see him go in. Now…I want you to tell me just what the hell is he doing around here?"

"Oh…that Beat…" He pinched his nose "I hate that guy…every time he comes around here he hassles me…"

Corn slammed his head against the wall again, he didn't care about this guys problems "What does he do, what's he into?"

"I don't think he does anything…I'm pretty sure he just comes here and sleeps."

Corn grabbed the guys' face "Bull shit…tell the truth!" He prepared to slam his head again…

"Wait wait wait...I'm serious! That's all he does!" he did not want any part of that wall. He was also pretty sure the back of his head was bleeding.

Corn thought about hurting the guy more "Where?" he let him go.

The junky held his head "A bedroom. It's up stairs and at the end of the hall."

As Corn turned and began to walk toward the door but as he prepared to do so he saw a flash out of the corner of his eye. He ducked to the side just in time for a knife to swing past his head. The junky made another lunge for him. Corn grabbed his arm with his right hand and his face in his left. He twisted his arm making him drop the knife and slammed his head against the wall again. This time, however, he forced him down until he was sitting on the ground…then he smashed his knee into his face knocking him smooth out in a pool of blood.

He picked up the knife off of the sidewalk. It was a shiny switchblade that seemed like it hadn't seen much use. After a few moments of internal debate, he finally pocketed the knife.

Steeling his nerves he entered the house.

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**_-To be continued, and hopefully finished, in the next chapter. It should be pretty good in the next part. I think I managed to show a different side of Corn. I haven't really seen other writers show that side of him, so I decided to try it out. I think I like it._**

**_Tell me what you thought…oh and my offer to give me an idea still stands. Review this Chapter!_**


	10. Swing Blades II

**_I don't own JSRF…I DO own this fic so don't plagiarize. I aim like Dick Cheney…so don't play me!!!

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**Swing Blades**

**Corn's Switch Blade Part II**

"…**_No joke, poppa's got a brand new bag,_**

_**And trust me, this shit ain't no swag…**_

_**So Lif, what you wanna do?**_

_**I'll hop over the moon in blue suede shoes;**_

_**The CIA's got cameras in your food…**_

**_soon they'll be ready to download you!_**

**_-(Vast Aires' verse)_**

…**_Sure we advertise 'land of the free,' but you can see there's harmony;_**

**_that's why the ghetto's like an armory._**

**_He got one, she got one- who got popped, son?_**

**_They did them old school and rolled away in a Datsun._**

_**Mom's cryin', Pop's writin' letters from jail,**_

_**Grandma shakin her head askin' 'Where did we fail?'**_

**_-(Mr.Lifs' verse)"_**

**-"Brothaz Remix" by Mr.Lif and Cannibal Ox**

**_-This is probably the most bangin' track I've heard in a while. I've been listening to it for three days! Do yourself a favor and download everything under "Definitive Swim" at Listen to "Brothaz", "Get Rich or Try Dying" and "Blood Boy" first.

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_**I'm starting to think that I shouldn't have removed the prologue because I think I might be confusing some readers. This fic is divided into stories, these stories share certain consistencies (characters, "real" names, locations, relationships and past events) but are, for the most part, unrelated. Also **Italics** are representative of the thought process.**_

**_I just noticed that I'm descending into a pit of dramatic writing that I might not be able to dig myself out of (oh no!). I have a few more (somewhat) dramatic ideas that I feel obligated to use (at some point) and it seems that I'm having trouble concentrating on humor (which sucks because I mostly do humor!). It goes without saying that I'm scared. I don't like not having funny ideas.

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**Dogenzaka Hill- 4:25am**

The heavy smell of marijuana, cigarette smoke and all kinds of different liquors assaulted Corns' nose. It was followed by the smell of urine and garbage. These five separate odors combined into one uber-funk that not only could he taste because it forced him to breathe out of his mouth, but was able to temporarily blind him. He wanted out, but he had something to take care of first. If he wanted to leave before he caught contact he would have to find Beat fast.

He stalked down the hall to the stair case. _Upstairs, at the end of the hall_. He went up the stairs. Quite a few people were passed out or buzzing on the stairs. When he reached the top of the stairs he looked back and shook his head _what a waste._ He continued down the hall. As he approached he heard shouting from inside. He placed his head agains the door and listened.

**Inside the Room**

"Look, you can't just stay here every night…this ain't a god damn homeless shelter!" The man talking was tall and had dark skin, not "black" dark mind you just kinda brown. He was obviously upset that Beat was sleeping there without buying any of his…products.

"…It's not a homeless shelter? Shit, you could've fooled me…all I see around here are bums and other homeless, jobless wonders…"

"You watch your fuckin' mouth!" a second man, the one that had kicked him in the ribs as a wake-up call. He wasn't as tall as the first one but wasn't nearly as thin. He was pretty well muscled…clearly he was the first guys' goon.

"Right, right…my bad. If anything this is a five star resort…I mean, how many other places have a complimentary 'Junky trying to suck your dick so that you'll pay them and they can buy some crank' service? Oh and the whole "stealing my skates to sell" and making me hunt them down and whip ass to get them back? Yeah, I'm sure a lotta resorts have that little feature…I mean, this is fuckin' paradise!" Beat knew he was begging for an ass whipping, but he couldn't help it. He was always like this when he woke up, and the fact that he was sleeping on a mattress that had springs sticking out of it…and was on the floor didn't really encourage him to be nicer to the two felons that had so rudely awakened him. "look why don't you just get to the fuckin' point…either tell me what you want or get out and let me sleep…"

**Outside**

Beat obviously couldn't see it, but outside the room Corn was shaking his head. He tried the door knob. _Locked._ He pulled out the switchblade, slid it into the door-jam and began picking the lock. It would take a minute.

He heard a thud. _That's not good…_ Beats' attitude was about to get him into serious trouble.

**Inside**

And it did. The goon grabbed Beat, throwing him and pinning him down on the ground. The tall one reached into his pocket and pulled out a rolled-up nylon and Velcro pack. He unfolded it to reveal about seven syringes filled with a goldish substance. He removed one from the pack, screwing a needle-tip onto it.

"Here's the deal," he began as he saw Beat struggling to free himself "This is my house. This is my room. If you want to sleep here, I'm afraid you have to be a customer. If you aren't a customer and you are sleepin' here, well, I'm afraid that's just incorrect…but don't worry, all it means is that a minor correction needs to be made…stick his arm out for him…"

**Outside**

_Damn, damn, damn…c'mon you piece of shit, open!_ Corn was struggling with the door. He couldn't hear everything that had happened inside but he managed to put two and two together. Beat+ drug dealers+ loud thud bad.

He kept sliding the knife until he heard…a click! _Got it!_ He exploded into the room.

**Inside**

Tall Man, who had yet to get the needle into Beat, whipped around to see just what the hell happened, he was rewarded by a set of skate wheels slamming into his face, hard.

He dropped the syringe and hit the floor holding his face and trying to stop his…gums from bleeding…had he swallowed some teeth?

Goon was dumbfounded…just dumbfounded enough for Beat to wrestle out of his grip. Once he was completely free, Beat spun around and shouldered him right in the face., knocking him into…Corn? Yes corn who immediately got to his feet and stomped on Goons' head.

Before Beat could say "what the hell?" Tall Man picked up the syringe and lunged at Corn, who jumped out of the way. He got up and went for him again, this time he was interrupted by Beat, who rammed into him and slammed him into the wall. Tall Man lifted the syringe and prepared to jam the needle into Beats' back. As he swung downward, Corn grabbed his arm and struggled to re-direct it.

Did I say he struggled? I meant succeeded. Corn twisted Tall Mans' arm, turning it upward and forcing him to stab himself in the chest with the needle. He then squeezed down on the pump, injecting him with the mystery liquid.

Tall Man's eyes widened, his pupils became large and reality collapsed. He gasped for breath and could swear he could taste air as he collapsed to his knees and the world went black…he was about to trip balls…

Corn helped Beat stand upright and handed him his skates, "I'll explain later…" he said, answering the question he was sure Beat had on his mind.

"Sure…" Beat quickly, strapped on his skates.

"C'mon." Beat slapped Corn on the back as he began to slowly skate/walk out of the room "Let's just get-" he looked up. There was a junky at the top of the stairs. Apparently she had seen everything. She rushed down the stairs.

Corn sighed "Shit…"

Beat looked around. On the floor of the room they were just in was a bat. He quickly picked it up and gave it a test swing…across Goons back. "Let's get outta here before that bitch tells everyone what happened…maybe we can leave without her seeing us again."

"Agreed." that's all Corn had to say. It was all he needed to say. He just wanted this night to be over, ASAP.

They quickly, but quietly, went to the stairs and started down. They started down the hallway, once they got to the bottom, but were suddenly stopped. A crowd of "loyal customers" were now blocking the way. Just as they started to charge at the two, Beat grabbed Corn by the arm and pulled him back up the stairs and through a doorway, closing and locking the door behind them.

Inside the room were a mattress and an old, beat-up, dresser. They could hear their pursuers beating at the door. Corn looked around for anything that would save them. The only other way out, a window, was boarded up. Corn took the bat from Beat and began to slam it into the wood boarding the window. Once he had loosened the nails in the boards he laid the bat on the floor so he and his comrade could pry the wooden boards off of the window.

When it was clear Beat leaned out: there was an overhang below him that could be used as a ledge. There was also a gutter drain running down the house to his far left. He picked the bat up off of the floor and stepped out of the window onto the overhang. He moved to the left so as not to block the window and pressed himself against the wall. Corn followed his example and they inched their way over to the drain, all the while hearing the sound of pounding on the door.

The finally made it to the drain. Beat grabbed it in his left hand and extended his right to Corn. Once corn had a good grip on his forearm, Beat swung him off of the overhang and onto the drain. Corn got his right hand onto it, then let go of Beat and placed his feet onto the wall. He then, and with no small amount of cussing, began to rappel down the side of the house.

Beat tossed the bat to him once he had reached the ground and began to do the same. That was when they heard it…Crack! The sound of wood splintering. It would seem their pursuers had broken a hole through the door and, now knowing that their prey were no longer in the room, were likely heading down the stairs to get after them.

Beat knew he had no time to climb down. With a small gulp he placed his feet onto the wall directly in front of him as though he were Spider-man and, releasing the drain, kick out and flew off of the side of the house landing flat on his back. He got up almost immediately, but in complete agony.

Corn took a moment to give Beat a round of applause, then handed him the bat. They hurried down the street, as far away from the house as possible.

**_

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-I took a couple of days and managed to whip this up. This series should be over by the next update. I wanted to finish it all at once, but I decided I should use short chapters so as not to bore readers. In any case, I don't have a very clear idea of how I'm going to wrap this up. I know I should, but my mind is at the four corners of the globe right now…hopefully the conclusion won't suck._**

_**-Please Review this Chapter.**_

_**Thank You**_


	11. Swing Blades III

**_I don't own JSRF…I DO own this fic so don't plagiarize. You are what you eat, a filthy animal…you're a bloody cannibal and I bet you taste just like chicken.

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**Swing Blades**

**Corn's Switch Blade Part III**

"**_Some of us pop pills and snort coke-  
to pain kill,  
Some of us rap drugs and bear witness-  
cause life's ill.  
But true happiness comes from within, you can't rely on a substance,  
Look at addiction for instance;  
And in an instance, you'll wake up out of that requiem..._****_for a dream, but you still caught it in the rectum."_**

**-"Painkillers" by Cannibal Ox (I think it should be very obvious that I am a fan of Cannibal Ox by now.)

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**_A.K.: "Just a small idea you could try and use" my ass! I could have used that suggestion days ago…when I read it, every other idea I could have possibly come up with immediately died of Hepatitis C! _**

_**I don't know why that idea never crossed my mind, thank you.

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**_Took a couple of days to sit back and chillax and get situated…y'know, put everything in perspective, unfortunately I only had ideas for where to take the story and not for how to end it. Now, because of a very helpful suggestion, I can finish and move on with my life. The dramatic genre does not own me anymore!!

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**Dogenzaka Hill- 4:45am**

It was still dark. They ran down the street careful to stay as far away from the few working street lights as they could without being in the open. They ducked into an alleyway. Sticking their heads out from behind the wall, they checked behind them. The junkies were hot on them but moving slowly. The drug dealers on the other hand were far better organized and moving faster than the junkies. Soon they would be upon them.

They ducked back into the alley.

"So," Beat began "Beating those guys' heads in, though I didn't ask for your help, was pretty fun, and good exercise, but now we need a plan. What do we do now, huh?"

"We split up and see who they go after."

"Yeah…that's not much of a plan Corn."

The junkies were pretty far back and losing interest, but the dealers were only thirty yards away.

"You got a better idea?"

"I say we keep moving and see what develops."

Corn thought about that "…This may come as a shock to you Beat, but that's not much better than my idea."

The dealers were a little closer now. They were only about twenty yards away now.

"Better than splitting up with a mob after us," Beat mumbled. "How would that be beneficial for us, exactly? Wouldn't we be easier to catch and possibly murder if we're separate?"

Fifteen yards away.

"'Keep moving and see what develops?' That's so much better than my idea. C'mon man, what if nothing develops? At least my way one of us can get away!"

Ten yards away.

"Well what about the other? Which one of us gets away, huh? Who do they go after, me or you? I think you know you have a better chance of getting away than me. Even if nothing develops, we have a better chance of living past dawn if we stay together!"

Five yards now.

"It's a bad idea!"

"It's the only thing that'll work!"

"Got your ass!" a voice shouted.

They turned to see a dealer standing in front of them. _Fuck!!_ They broke out, but he caught Beat by the arm, "They're over here!" he called out.

"Corn!" Beat tossed Corn the bat. Once it was in his hands, Corn swung it at the dealers head, breaking his jaw and damn near killing him. Once Beat was free, they sped down the alley into a back street, drug dealers after them, mad and fast on the hunt. They re-entered their conversation as they ran "See, sticking together is a good idea!"

"Can it, Beat!"

"I'm just sayin' I was right and you were wrong!"

"I'm right in the long run…"

"If we split up, we're dead!"

"Think about who we're running from! What are the chances a mob of druggies is going to catch either of us running on our own!? If we split up, we can move faster and get back to the garage in a just a couple of hours! Together we're too slow!"

"What kind of logic is-"

As they turned a corner Corn power-slid into a 180, grabbing Beat by the wrist and pulling him back in the other direction. There was cop cars around the corner, lots of them.

"Great…well, we stuck together and this it what developed. Got a plan to get us out of this one?"

"…Nope. I'm stumped."

_Idiot_, Corn snapped his fingers "I got it!"

Beat checked behind them "You might want to get it into gear, our friends are rounding the corner!"

He was referring to the drug dealers turning the corner and immediately spotting them.

"Good! We can kill two birds with one stone! Follow my lead…" Corn waited for them to be within a few yards of them, then grabbed Beat and rushed out into the open, with the mob still chasing them. Once they were all out in the open Corn swiped the bat from Beat and hurled it at a Rokkaku squad car, shattering the window. He now had the eight or nine cops' attention.

Beat and the dealers looked lost, but showed them a toothy smirk. Now that the cops were all focused on the mob, he dove his hand into the nearest dealers' pocket producing a vial of crack cocaine. He threw it towards the police. "Oh fuck…" one of the dealers whispered. The officer closest to it picked up the vial. He showed it to the other officers and he and a small group of them advanced on the mob. As the dealers turned to run the cops started into a charge, followed by squad cars.

Corn and Beat stood back as the police went after the mob, possibly all the way back to the dope spot. Once it was quiet they made their way up the street.

They continued to slowly skate up the street for about an hour. They were quiet for a while but Corn eventually broke the silence. "So," he began "Where are we going?"

"If we keep going this way we'll eventually hit Hikage street. After that it's a straight shot home."

"What about the Love Shockers…that place it crawlin' with them. Can't we go straight to Chuo from here?"

"It'll take us forever and we'll have to go through the far side of Hikage anyway…"

"But we won't run into any trouble…"

"…Do you know a short cut?"

"No," he stopped "Hang on for a minute." Corn leaned up against the nearest wall and pondered the situation.

"Look, If you're still pissed because my idea worked and yours wouldn't have, get over it."

Corn was shocked "Get over it?" He stood up, "What the hell are you talkin' about? If we hadn't have run into those cops we'd be dead by now."

"I told you that we'd be okay if we stayed together and waited to see what developed. The cops developed…"

"We got lucky! Face it dude, you haven't done anything to get us out of trouble this whole morning…in fact, damn near everything that has happened was your fault."

"My fault!?"

"Fuckin' right, your fault!"

"How was any of this my fault!?"

"You were sleeping in a crack house!"

"You followed me to the crack house!"

"You were talkin' shit to some drug dealers!"

"You beat up a junky and stabbed one of the dealers with a syringe!"

"I saved your god damn life with that syringe!"

"I'm the one that got us out of the crack house!"

"You were the whole reason we were even there! You were the whole reason we were being chased! What the hell were you doing in a crack house anyway!"

"I fuckin' lived there, rent free, until you fucked it up for me!"

"You fucked it up for yourself! You fuck up everything you're involved in! Ever since the day I met you, you've been nothing but trouble! You can't go five minutes without getting' into some bullshit and pissin' somebody off!"

Beat absorbed what Corn was saying.

"You know what really gets me, what really pisses me off about you, Beat? You always put yourself into these situations and drag someone else in with you! Back at that house if you had just gotten up and left when those two were talking to you, this whole situation could have been avoided…but you couldn't do that, you just had to talk shit…now look where we are!" he spread his arms out as if to present the situation to him, then he spoke again "You know what, I remember something you told me before. You said to give it a little while and you'd be leading the GG's…well how? How would you do that? How would you lead eleven individuals when you can't even lead yourself in the right fuckin' direction!? You're nothing but god damn trouble…I'm starting to really see why your parents kicked you the fuck out."

Beat had had enough, "Fuck you! Who the fuck do you think you are? When have you ever been a leader? What the fuck makes you so high and mighty!? You know what? Maybe I was wrong; maybe you aren't pissed about my idea working out better than yours would have, maybe it's something else…maybe this has somethin' to do with a certain young woman we both know…"

Corn shook his head "don't even think about goin' there-"

"You were never such an asshole to me before, until you found out about me and Gum; now you're just wrapped up in your fuckin' jealousy." Corn looked uncomfortable for a moment and Beat knew he had struck a nerve…or opened a deep, deep wound; either way there was no turning back, it was time to stop tip-toeing around the elephant in the room and chop its' tusks off for ivory. Beat continued to speak, "Don't deny it; It's sad: you loved her, she rejected you and trapped you in the friend zone…now she finds someone and you still wish on a star about what could have been…new flash: no matter how much you love her, she doesn't love you. Get the fuck over it!"

Once he was done speaking beat could see an immediate change in Corns' expression. He no longer carried a look of discomfort, expressing a melancholy attitude towards a situation that he knew in his heart of hearts was true, though he didn't want to believe it. No, Corns' face carried a blank expression, as if to show a brief moment of lucidity. Next his eyes slowly shut and a small smile spread across his lips, as if to show that he was at peace. His moment of peace didn't last long however as, in an instant and without any warning, his eyes shot open; His face was the visage of pure, unadulterated rage, a demon come to claim Beats' soul.

There was a flash of white light, then darkness. Darkness was followed by pure pain and the feeling of being in motion.

When Beat could open one of his eyes, he was on his back with Corn standing over him; his glasses were shattered and his eye was throbbing with agonizing pain.

"You know what?" Corn began "I'm gonna take my own advice. I'm done with you. You go ahead and find your way home, I'm going my way. Knowing you you'll be hanging dead and flayed from the Hikage water tower by the end of the day." And with that, he went down a side street, but before he left Beat alone on the sidewalk he turned back to him "Oh, and for your information…I fucked Gum two days ago!"

With that he disappeared, leaving Beat on the ground in stunned silence.

* * *

**_-I've decided that this is how I want to end this particular series. It doesn't have a real resolution, but there is tension and that works just fine for this one. I realized after the last installment that this has been about everything except Corns' knife…whoops. At least you get to see what my impression of Corn and beats' relationship is. What do you think? Let me know…_**

_**Please Review This. Thank You for Reading.**_


	12. Great Day Revised

_**I don't own JSRF…I **__**DO**__** own this fic so don't plagiarize…All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy… All work and no play make Jack a dull boy… All work and no play make Jack a dull boy… All work and no play make Jack a dull boy…(sinister lol)

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**_

_**Assassin K.: Yeah you're right there wasn't much in between the opening and the resolution, but honestly everything I write is a work in progress. I just need to find time to revise other chapters. I really just put up the original because I wanted to put something up…I cranked it out in about two hours. This is the day that I decided to add and or change anything that I feel needs to be added and or changed. As a result it will be longer.

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**_

**Great Day (Revised)**

**(Combo and Cube)**

**Very long.

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**

"_**Looks like it's gonna be a great day today  
To get some fresh air like a stray on a straightaway  
Hey you, got a light? nah, a Bud Light  
Early in the morning, face crud from like a mud fight  
Looky here, it's just the way the cookie tear  
Prepare to get hurt and mangled like Kurt Angle rookie year  
The rocket scientist, with a pocket wine list  
Some even say he might need some puss-psychiatrist  
**_

_**Doom, are you pondering what I'm pondering?  
Yes, but why would the darn thing be wandering?  
She's like a foundling, barely worth fondling  
My posse's on raw really momma I want to sing  
Mad plays the bass like the race card  
Villain on the case to break shards and leave her face scarred  
Groovy dude, not to prove to be rude  
But this stuff is like what you might put on movie food"**_

**-"Great Day" by Madvillain (MF DOOM Lyricis and Madlib Beats)

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**

_**  
**_

**Shibuya Terminal-Nov. 12, 3:20pm**

It was a nice day outside. It was about mid November now, yet it was actually quite warm and had been so for the past few days; it was still a little breezy outside though. It was bright out; there were few clouds in the sky. Buses, trucks and cars went back and forth all over the street. People were everywhere. Walking, running, going about their business the way people in Tokyo always did: in huge crowds of people, yet still finding ways to ignore the people around them. It was no surprise they didn't notice her there or simply didn't care.

She was in the shade of a large building, leaning against the wall simply watching the people go by. She was tall(ish), about 6' 1". Her black hair was cut short; her bangs were held back out of her grey eyes and neatly in place by two silver clips, though it had all started to grow since her last haircut making it quite shaggy around the back of her head. The shade made her appear paler than she actually was.

She wore clothes a bit different from what she was usually dressed in today: a grey t-shirt on top of a black long-t with flames on the sleeves, both shirts hemmed at the mid-drift exposing a belly tattoo/piercing combination (there were also tattoos on her left arm, ankles and lower back).

The dark charcoal jeans she wore were fitted tight (where it mattered at least) and rolled up to her calves. They were covered with her name, written in various different styles, as well as various phrases and obscenities that she had scrawled all over them (for example on her right inner-thigh, in smallish-letters and black ink, "Insert cock into clit: thrust in, pull out-repeat until met with desired effect" was written with an arrow clearly pointing at her crotch) and were held up by a spiked belt with a large stainless-steel skull buckle.

A chain hung loosely out of her left pocket. Her left wrist was adorned with stainless steel ring-bracelets and a red-star wristband; she wore a spiked bracelet and a steel watch on her right, as well as an iron ring on her right middle finger with a small Jolly Rodger (pirate flag logo) on it. Her hands were gloved, though the fingers of the gloves were cut off.

Around her neck hung a small, black, steel cross on a silver chain and a pair of black and white Chuck Taylors tied together by their white laces. Black and red skates were strapped to her feet.

Her face carried upon it a nose and lip piercing (she also had other piercings in her: tongue, three in each ear, both nipples and her clit…just so you know), a small amount of black lipstick and a look that was a mixture of boredom, annoyance and worry.

She checked her watch, _3:20…he's late…_ She sighed _He was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago!_ A few days ago he promised her that he would spend the day with her today, though he didn't really give her a reason why. They had been to a movie and were out at an arcade earlier when he had told her that he needed to take care of something. He promised that he'd meet her a little later at the terminal and that the others would meet up with them at a park in Chuo. She wasn't sure why he needed to go but she agreed. She went back to their home, changed clothes, and now she was waiting for him and he was late. _I hope he didn't just say that so he could ditch me…_

She bent down to pick up an object at her feet, a basketball. She spun it on her finger-tips for a moment then caught it in both of her hands. She passed it back and forth between her left and right hands before she finally placed it on the ground and sat on it, still leaning against the wall of course. She opened her legs slightly and began to drum on the ball. _I really wanted to tell him too…_

After a few minutes of this, she reached into her pocket, producing a red magnum-size marker and a piece of white chalk. She turned slightly to her left. Reaching over her shoulder she began to draw, with the chalk, a skull on the wall, not a large one but large enough. Once she finished the skull she wrote her own name underneath it. She then used the marker to outline both figures and scribbled the date of to the right in the red ink.

The sound of a bus pulling up and coming to a stop interrupted her work, causing her to turn around. The bus doors opened and out stepped a large, and very much, African-American young man. He wore baggy, black jeans and a white t-shirt. Around his neck was a gold Yen symbol and upon his left shoulder was a large black jam-box. In his right hand was a large black bag. His face was expressionless and he wore black sunglasses. He looked around momentarily then raised his bag hand slightly, gesturing for her to come over.

She got up, picking up the ball, and glided in his direction. "Combo, where've you-" he thrust the bag at her, interrupting her. She looked at it then raised her eyes to him questioningly. He shook the bag a little, not speaking. After a few moments of the two of them simply staring at each other, she spoke again "What is it?"

"It's for you…it's a gift," he answered monotonously, though with a slight smile.

"…but what is it?" she asked.

"I said 'it's a gift' Cube…look in the bag."

Cube took the bag and handed him the ball. She reached into the bag and pulled out a large, black hoody. The right arm had the words "Super Villain" written on it and the back had what appeared to be MF DOOMs' mask done with a white stencil on it. She smiled broadly, exposing her teeth.

"I thought you might like it; I'm glad I stopped to get it for you," he said with a grin. "Happy twentieth birthday Cube."

"So that's what you went to do! Thank you!"

"Sure Cubie…"

"Really, thanks-"

"Rubix Cube…"

"Uh…yeah…"

"What's one to the third power?"

"Uh…one?"

"No, one cubed!"

"Dude…seriously…"

"Ice Cube…"

"Combo…"

"Cube-ert…Ooph!"

She punched him in the stomach. It was the only way to get him to stop.

"Ow…"

"I got it. Thank you…this was very sweet of you." She turned his head to the side and kissed him on the cheek.

He blushed slightly "…I can't breathe…"

She patted his shoulder "You'll be fine …now let's get goin'; I think I've inhaled enough bus exhaust for today." She slung the hoody over her shoulder, as it was warm and she didn't want to sweat unnecessarily, and they started on their way to Chuo District Park.

**

* * *

**

Chuo-3:40pm

They entered the Chuo area. The Shibuya Terminal was crowded, Chuo was teeming. People were everywhere, going in and out of the various stores, restaurants, arcades and theatres. It was definitely noisy, but the smell of bus exhaust fumes wasn't there so it wasn't as annoying. They wanted to go through some of the stores and arcades but, unfortunately, they had to meet their friends so they couldn't.

They were getting hungry. They knew that they were supposed to meet Garam, Azumi, Soda and Saya at the areas' park to play basketball…but the park wasn't far and anyway they weren't meeting them until 4:00, so they decided to get something to eat. They skated over to the T-Rex Plaza (big green dinosaur area) because that was where most of the food that fell into their price range was located.

Combo wanted to get Chinese food, but Cube told him exactly what kind of bird the Peking duck really was (crow and seagull) and also made the connection between cats and egg-rolls, so that was out of the question.

There was a KFC, but Combo told Cube about a KFC in L.A. that was shut down because it was filled with rats, roaches, silverfish and several "air-born" insectsNeedless to sayshe changed her mind.

They listed every restaurant in the area, finding fault in every one of them until they happened upon a Yoshinoya.

"Doesn't Gum work there?" Cube asked.

"I think so…" Combo answered. "Didn't she say something about going there while she's on the job?"

Cube gave it some thought "I don't recall what she said exactly…it was either something about not fuckin' with her while she works because she could get fired or something about an employee discount."

"I thought she said something else too."

"I dunno…zip it up and zip it out?"

He was caught off guard "…What?"

"She said that right?"

"God no, she wouldn't say something so stupid…Garam said that."

"Right, right…now I remember, she said to pretend that we don't know her so she won't get caught giving us the discount."

"Oh yeah…"

They entered the Yoshinoya (there actually are Yoshinoyas in Japan) and did their very best to treat Gum as though she were a total stranger (they didn't want her fired). Receiving their orders, and their discounts which they were to **never** speak of again, from their smiling friend they left and headed for the park.

They ate as they walked. Combo swallowed a mouthful of beef and rice "'Ey, Cube…"

"Mwuhd?" she turned her head to face him as she swallowed her mouthful.

"I been meanin' to ask you somethin'…"

Cube inhaled sharply…_Is he going to ask me-_

"…What's that tattoo on your arm say?"

She choked a little, that wasn't the question she had expected. "Um…Come to think of it, I really don't know what my tattoo says. It's never really come up before, so I never actually thought about it before."

He absorbed that "…What do you mean you don't know what your tattoo says?"

"I mean I don't know what it says. It's never come up."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. No one's ever asked about it before, they can all read it."

"No, I mean why don't you know what it says?"

"I can't read it yet, so I haven't figured it out yet."

He was confused "You can't read it?"

"Nope."

"So you let them tattoo something to your arm and you have no idea what it says?"

"Not a clue."

"But you let them put it on anyway?"

"No, they waited until I was asleep."

"Asleep or passed out?"

"Uh…a little of both." She grinned sheepishly.

"Okay…that seems…feasible. What I don't understand is how you can't read it. Are you illiterate or something?"

"God no! It's just that I don't read Japanese as well as I speak it."

"But how is that even possible?" This just wasn't adding up "It makes no sense!"

"Well it's not like I'm Japanese."

Combo stopped skating/walking and looked Cube squarely in her eyes, "You aren't Japanese?"

Cube shook her head, "Well…no."

"What are you then?"

"Chinese. I'm from Taiwan."

"Forgive me for saying this, but you all look alike."

Cube smiled nodded, "So do black people."

Combo covered his heart "Ouch…" they continued on "so how come you never bothered to mention this before?"

"You never asked…I didn't think you were interested…"

"Of course I'm interested…don't you know what this means?"

"That you care about me enough to want to know my actual ethnicity?"

He had caught himself drifting out of the conversation. "…Huh?"

"I mean…I don't know, what?"

"It means that the next time Garam says something about you bein' racist, you can throw this in his face!"

Her eyes lit up "You're right…fuckin' A!" She paused and thought for a minute "Do you think I'm a racist?"

"Me? No…I find that usually the person that calls someone else racist is the one who's racist."

"Sorta like a 'he who smelt it, dealt it' kinda thing, right?"

"Exactly."

They stopped at a vending machine and Combo paid for a couple of beers. Cube popped the tab and sucked some down…it was a disgusting, bitter swill that tasted a bit like break fluid with a distinct after taste of raw sewage. Her face twisted as she removed the can from her lips. Her eyes raised and brought her companion into view, he had the same look on his face. She raised the can up "Cheers dude." Her dry wit was rewarded with a smirk. As she attempted to raise the can to her lips again, slowly as though she wanted to try and outsmart her taste buds, he punched her in the arm, "softly."

"Ow! What the hell?"

"It's an American tradition…I have to hit you nineteen more times and pinch you once."

_I'd let you hit it nineteen times...I'm not sure how we could work pinching into it though…_"…Maybe my ass…" she thought out loud.

"Huh?"

"I said you're an ass."

He punched her arm again. "Let's get going"

**

* * *

**

Chuo District Park- 5:35pm

They had been waiting for over an hour. At first they were shooting around, which was how Combo came to find out that Cube could dunk, but now they were sitting on a park bench, one-hundred percent positive that their friends had ditched them.

The park was pretty nice. The trees were mostly around the edges which left a lot of space in the center of the park. There was a sandbox off to one side, where they had been on the swings for a while. The basketball courts were in the corner on the other side. There was a baseball diamond in another corner and soccer goals set up in the last section. It was quieting down now as kids began to leave the park.

The sun was starting to set. They could see blue sky fade to red which brightened into golden-orange in the west. The clouds were turning purple with gold outlines. Cube had her feet on the bench and was leaning up against Combo, spinning her basketball on her fingers. It was starting to get cold out so she now wore her new DOOM hoody (DOOMY), and she still had her Chucks on. "They aren't coming…" she thought aloud.

"Obviously…" Combo responded "Well, let's get out of here before it really gets dark. Get your skates on."

"Actually…I think I'd rather walk…"

He looked at her for a moment and got up "Whatever…" They left "where did you learn how to dunk?"

"I went to Stanford for a year."

His eyes bugged "Stanford!?"

"Just for a year; I couldn't pay so I left…still owe them money…"

**

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**

Leaving Shibuya and Entering Dogenzaka-7:41pm

On the way back they had decided to stop at an arcade. That had been a while ago though. Now they were leaving the bus terminal area and walking up the main street of Dogenzaka Hill. They would have to go the long way, as they weren't wearing their skates. It was dark now. There were still plenty of people outside but very few men were in business suits and there weren't many kids out…plenty of teenagers, but few kids. Traffic didn't slow down at all; cars and trucks flew up and down the street.

Combo was in his own world, he was thinking about something that occasionally came to mind when he wasn't thinking about other things. His mind was on how he came to be living in Japan in the first place; how he had been in jail for a year. How shortly after his release on parole his cousin Kenny, the only person that actually tried to keep him positive about his situation, had been killed by a gang member when he tried to stop the guy from robbing a woman. He thought about how he had violated his parole, after Kennys' death, by going to Mexico.

He knew he wouldn't be allowed to stay free after his parole violation so he didn't go back. Instead he went to Canada, then England. He was of course using the money he had saved up after years of being a drug dealer in Long Beach before he was locked up and a bit that he picked up on the way.

The majority of his passage through Europe was a drunken, weed, acid and sex fueled blur. He lived among Europeans of African decent for his entire stay on that "continent" until he woke up one day on a barge headed for China, quite the shock for him. He quickly flew to Japan…and that was when his money finally ran out (not completely, but enough to keep him there for a long, long time). He was twenty-one now…it had been three years.

What made him truly sad was knowing that even if he weren't stuck in Japan, he couldn't go home. _I couldn't go back if I wanted to…I really want to. _He let the thought of never seeing home again hang in his mind for a while.

"Combo?"

He snapped out of his daze " 'Sup?"

Cube turned her face to him as she walked; she wasn't sure how to phrase this, _How do I say this without offending him?_ "Why did you spend the day with me? It's nice and everything but, I don't think we've really been hangin' out together for a while…y'know just the two of us, like today."

He was quiet for a moment "I just wanted to hang out with you for a bit."

_That's nice but_…"I don't think that's entirely true…why did you really want to do this…was it just because it's my birthday?"

He was quiet for a moment "…A while back you told me about how shitty your life was when you were with your parents. You told me how much you hated them…told me all of the evil shit that your father did to you and how much you hated your mother because she never stopped him from doin' that shit to you, how she would beat you and he would molest you and beat you and she-"

"She would beat me more for telling her what he would do to me," Cube remembered. She told him about it a few months ago, after he asked her about them; she didn't really think that he would remember any of it…she hoped he wouldn't remember.

He continued "You also told me about how they had been killed in a car accident about a year or two back. You said that even though you hated them for everything they did to you, you didn't have any other family members, though I guess you meant you didn't have any in Japan since you're from Taiwan. You said that you were all alone…I didn't think it would be right to just let you be alone on your birthday."

She looked downward "So that was it then…that's all it was?"

"… No, I…I wanted to pay you back…"

She was stricken with severe confusion "Huh?"

Combo heaved a sigh then turned to face her. "A couple of weeks ago…when we went to that party…" he saw her wince at the thought "Look…I dragged you along against your will…I was bein' selfish. I got you into a lot of trouble because of that. I felt guilty since then. I wanted to make things right again. I felt like I owed it to you to just go out and have some fun with you, like we used to."

Cubes' heart sank "You thought I was still mad about that whole thing with the costume?"

"You weren't? I mean I figured that was the reason you…did what you did, later."

She laughed a little "I was mad at the time but I got over it in a couple of days…and yes that is why I raped you with my hands in front of everyone." she was smiling, but it slowly faded "I wasn't upset about that though. I was upset because…since that night…you've been spending most of your time with…" she looked away from him; she had said too much.

It was suddenly all clear to Combo, _Saya_…_she was upset about me bein' around Saya…does that mean that she…_He moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. She was still for a moment, but soon she twisted herself around so she was facing him…there were tears in her eyes. He was shocked and began to feel ashamed of himself, he had never seen her cry before. He squeezed her pressing her against him, "I'm sorry; I'm so sorry…I didn't know how you felt…"

She released herself from his embrace, wiping her eyes "It's okay…I'm alright…I'm alright with it. Really…if you want her then-"

"I don't want her."

She stopped wiping "You don't?"

"I never wanted her…Cube, we've been friends for a while now…I wanted to ask you out a while ago; I wanted to see if their was anything there, y'know what I mean? After a while though…I just didn't know how you really felt about me, so I-"

She pressed her lips against his. She held it for a good minute. When she pulled back she could see that his eyes were bugged out. "Are you okay?"

He snapped out of it "Huh? Yeah…yeah I'm…I…do that again."

Cube laughed a little, she stopped laughing and smiled at him…then she did it again.

She pressed her lips against his and wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Why didn't you ever tell me you felt that way?" Cube asked him after she was done kissing him.

"Honestly…I thought you were gay. It seemed like you were a little attracted to Gum."

"I am."

"You are?"

"Look…I'm not gay or anything, but hot is hot. Gum is hot and I'd do her in a heartbeat."

"…Wow…You said you aren't gay, but that doesn't sound too straight to me…"

They had finally arrived home. Cube grabbed him by the wrist (as best as she could), and lead him directly to her room. "Come on…I want to show you just how straight I am."

**

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-__****No more fade to black…I just realized that this is the second set of revisions I've done in less than two days. There's always work to do baby. **

_**Thank You for Reading…I would like to ask you kindly to review this for me. **_


	13. The Day Corn was Shot: Game Timeline

****

I don't own JSRF…I DO own this fic so don't plagiarize. 362 hits and counting bitches!!

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**The day Corn was shot **

**Episode 1: Must Have Missed Something**

"**_In this frigid fragile capsule  
that allows you to fly south before the winter winds trap you;  
I wrap my "hell I made it" wetsuit stitch  
so I can swim in elevators crazy wet through piss.  
I'm just a pigeon with one mile left  
that doggy-paddles through this bullshit ocean of death;  
and these rags-to-riches words will break bones,  
like the assassination of two birds with one stone.  
That's why I don't associate with bird brains with their beaks in the air,  
pelicans with wide jaws yap names; _**

**_for fish heads you'll get tossed in the flames  
where some ornithologist will find your skeletal frame. "_**

**-"Pigeon" by Cannibal Ox (Vast Aire)

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**

**_I decided that this one_** **_would have to happen during timeline of the actual game. I remember DJ Prof. K. saying that Yoyo had heard rumors about the Golden Rhinos, did some investigating and got caught himself. I used this as the foundation of this story. I had been tinkering with it for a while but wasn't sure if I could make it work. Basically the Golden Rhinos get way out of control and, rather than apprehend the GG's like your friendly neighborhood fascist police would, open fire and hit Corn. He is rushed to a nearby safe house (by safe house I mean Cube's house on 99th street). After they realize there would be no way to get him to a doctor they decide that they may have to operate on him themselves.

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_**

**Cube's House-9:37PM July 20th**

Gum couldn't believe what was happening. She couldn't believe what had already happened. It all just seemed so unreal. Like a horrible nightmare. It all just seemed like it shouldn't be happening. _How could they just do that? They didn't even care about what they had done. What kind of monsters are they? _Tears ran down the side of her face. She made no effort to wipe them away. She didn't care. Her best friend had been shot. If they couldn't help him he would die.

In the bathroom Cube was searching frantically for the medical kits she kept in case of emergencies. She was going to need everything she had but she knew she didn't have enough to clean up the mess that the Rhinos had left her. She looked to her left, Yoyo was helping her look for her kits. She looked at him but he didn't seem to notice._ Maybe his bad luck rubs off on others?_ Shaking the thought from her head she went back to what she was doing.

She had sent Clutch, Garam and Beat to get some other supplies that she would need. Clutch said he had a hook-up with a local doctor so he could get some morphine, I.V.s and maybe a couple of blood packs. She had to convince him that she wouldn't need anything else to keep him from exhausting his resource (she had some scalpels in one of her med packs, some sleeping pills and a small home defibrillator).

Garam went despite Clutch's objections. He made it known to Clutch when he first joined after his little theft incident that he not only didn't trust him, but that he would disconnect his jaw if he ever got him alone. Now he said he wanted to make sure he couldn't run off and leave Corn dying. He had promised that one day he would get Clutch alone; it seemed like this was not necessarily the perfect time, but this moment was the most opportune for him to get him alone.

Beat went to make sure that they completed their task and didn't get sidetracked by Garam's grudge. "…They'll just fight if I don't go andwe really don't have time for that. At least this way they won't get into any bullshit and stay focused on the task at hand." That's the last thing he said before he left.

That was all about twenty minutes ago.

_What did those two idiots get me into_? _As usual they fuck up and make me clean it up after them. Oh well…who else would they turn to, the police?_ Cube smirked at the thought of them begging Hayashi for protection against a horrific government agency.

She found her last kit "Now we're in business."

* * *

Yoyo couldn't figure it all out. Yesterday he was in a cage on the top tier of the F.R.Z. (Fortified Residential Zone). Now, less than twenty four hours after Yoyo had finally been freed, Corn got shot in the back by those Rhino fuckers he was originally investigating. He reflected on it all.

At first he thought that they were just some street punks looking for territory so he didn't take the rumors too seriously. After a while he started hearing more disturbing rumors about them. He tracked down Professor K, which was hard as all hell, and got what info he could out of him. Then he went to the Love Shockers, the Rapid 99's and even the Poison Jams and Doom Riders. They all had different info but one thing remained the same, they all said the Golden Rhinos were trouble he wanted no part of.

He was definitely playing with fire but he didn't care. He started doing "Golden Rhino" searches on the internet. He found a small wealth of information. He separated real shit from the stupid rumors that circulated on the internet.

Then shit started getting strange. Dudes in trench coats started following him. He would be coming out of a Yoshinoya and one of the dudes would be across the street. He'd get on a bus and when he got off one of the dudes would be getting on. He'd be in a restroom and when he washed his hands one would come in, piss, wash his hands and leave without so much as glancing at Yoyo.

He knew they knew he wasn't stupid and that he had figured they were at least keeping tabs on him ever since he started his minor investigation. At first he would see them and act like they didn't exist. They would do the same. Both parties would go about their business. They became faces in the crowd. He had the feeling they didn't really keep their eyes on him either.

He had never said anything to Corn though. _Typical of me to be so damn stupid. I knew it all along and I still let them get me yo._

He knew they were connected to Gouji, he couldn't figure out how but he knew. He needed more info to be sure. He had an associate hack into the Rhino's data base. They found everything they needed from the total number of agents to the names of their top ranking operatives.

Then it got scary, they started more actively following him, to the point where he would have to constantly shake them off his trail. All of his movements became erratic. He wouldn't stay in one place for more than an hour. But somehow they always caught up to him. He would lose them for an hour or two and if he didn't pay attention, he would look up and see one looking right at him. They had him firmly in their gaze. Could they know about his friends too?

As if to add to his growing paranoia his associate disappeared. He sent a letter:

**Dude: They've found me out. I left town. They already know you. **

**Don't let them get your friends. Run and hide. Please Run and hide. **

**-Sincerely and wishing the best of luck, C.**

When he went to his associates "home" he found it burned to the ground. That's when he knew he had to disappear from the Garage. He didn't want his friends dying over him, so didn't tell them what when or where…after all he didn't want them to know what happened or when he was leaving for fear of endangering them and had no clear idea as to where he would run to anyway. The same day his associate disappeared he filled Pot's dish and proceeded to run. He didn't get far. They had him in twenty-four hours.

He had finally made the connection between Gouji, the Rhinos and the guys who had been following him and decided to tell Corn what he knew once he found a safe place to hide. Too late though, the Rhinos stepped their game up and caught him before he could get to step two. He was trapped in a cage for three weeks and thanks to Clutch, whom the others seemed to have some kind of problem with, was found and rescued. He told them everything he knew about the Rhinos. He didn't tell them everything about his investigation though, just enough. That would all be rather hard to explain anyway as it seemed that a few people he and/or his associate knew had coincidentally joined the GG's.

Since then two gangs (the Noise Tanks and Immortals) went missing and now Corn was in Cubes bedroom lying on his stomach in severe pain. On top of that those dudes, the Golden Rhinos, were now the new police force. _What the hell is going on here?_ _Did I miss something_?

Cube kicked him. "I've got enough meds here. Just keep looking for my defibrillator. "

**Cubes' Bed Room-9:50PM**

Back in Long Beach Combo had seen quite a few of his friends die. In fact he believed that, had he not violated his parole and, as a result, eventually gotten stuck in Japan, he would also be dead. He had seen at least four of his friends die right in front of him, two of whom were his cousin Kenny and his younger brother Paul.

He had, of course, attended both of their funerals and didn't cry at either one. He delivered their eulogies and didn't tear up. He didn't even need to pause to take a breath. It saddened him to see both of them lying in caskets, but he just didn't cry.

Something about this seemed to bring back the memories. Memories of having to identify Paul's body. Memories of viewing Kenny's body before his funeral. Memories of mothers, cousins, friends all crying. Memories of the all too often repeated phrase "He's in a better place now."

In the five years since Paul and three years since Kenny had passed Combo had never once even so much as teared up, he had never cried, he had never looked towards the heavens and wondered why the lord had decided to take them from him.

Now, as he watched Corn lying in complete agony, with the memories of his fallen friends all coming back too him he couldn't hold it back any longer. Tear drops ran from his eyes like a flowing river. _Not again…_He couldn't stop himself from crying.

* * *

Corn was in severe pain. The wounds the bullets gave him burned. It wasn't a "fire" kind of burn either; it was more of a "jalapeño juice on an open cut in your mouth" kind of burn backed up by backbreaking pain. It stung and burned and couldn't be relieved. He spent his moments of bloody agony reflecting on the past three days.

There were just too many questions left unanswered: _How did Clutch know we were looking for Yoyo and what he looked like and where he was? How did he know who we were? When Cube exposed that Noise Tank how did she know it wasn't Yoyo when she didn't even know who Yoyo was? He didn't go to the Poison Jam lair at the bottom of the sewer with the rest of us. Why did she even help us? What was in it for her? And why didn't Yoyo say anything about the Rhinos before; why keep it a secret from us?_

When he was done with this surgery he was gonna have to have a nice long conversation with all three of them. At the moment he needed to concentrate on staying awake. _What's wrong with Combo?_ Just as he was preparing to ask him Cube walked into the room.

"I've found a few of my kits but I'm having trouble finding my defibrillator. Yoyo's looking for it but he's not doing too well," she turned towards Combo, "Hey, big guy, could you get me some water? I badly need an aspirin." Combo nodded and left.

Corn didn't ask about any past events, _best to concentrate on the task at hand_ "What are you planning to do?"

"Well, Clutch, is getting other supplies and may not be back for another half hour at the max, so we just wait here I guess."

"Why don't you take me to a hospital?"

"We tried, when you were passed out. The Rhinos locked down the hospital. They're making sure we don't get you in."

"So how is he getting supplies?"

"A private clinic. Apparently he knows the doctor that owns it…he can provide a few of the things I'm missing. I'm sure it'll cost me, but I need them if I'm going to help you."

"Do you have anything to dull the pain?"

"I have some Novocain, but you need morphine. Doesn't really matter, I can't find it anyway," She said that pretty jokingly, as if she wanted to put him at ease.

Corn almost laughed but decided it would be inappropriate, and anyway it would probably hurt his back. Cube continued "I need to locate the bullets so that I can remove them before you give lead poisoning. After that I want to sew the tissue back together."

"Can I die?"

"Oh hell yeah, I'm not even goin' to lie to you. You seem stable right now though. You aren't bleeding a lot."

Combo had just appeared with a glass of water, "Thank you. You can go wait in the living room or eat something if you want. I'll call you when I need you."

Combo nodded and left. Cube swallowed her aspirin and gulped her water. "From the look on his face you'd think he was the one that was shot. It's not gonna do him any good to see you laid up like this. It won't do me any good either, if he's going to help me I need him to be as relaxed as possible."

"How long will it take?"

"Probably a few hours, I don't know. I've reset bones, but bullets are a little different. They require a lot of finesse. I've only pulled them out of arms before. You not only have two in your arm but you have one in your leg and four in your back; two of 'em are in pretty deep. Those are my main priority."

"Are you scared?"

Up until he asked that she was trying to remain upbeat about the situation. For the first time since she'd entered the room she frowned. "I'd be lying if I said no."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid you'll die in my hands."

"What are you scared of that for?" He turned his head towards her and smiled "If you save me I live, if you don't it wasn't meant to be. That's all there is to it, no big deal right?"

Cube looked down at her feet. She couldn't stop herself. She started…laughing. She was laughing. _Maybe it wasn't a mistake to join up with this guy after all._ She looked at Corn with a large smile spread across her face. "Alright. If that's how you feel then I don't see any reason to be afraid...just don't haunt me if you don't survive."

"I'm not making any promises…"

They were both quiet for a while. Corn broke the awkward silence, "Cube, could you make sure nobody's panicking out there?

"Nothing to worry about. Most of them were sleeping the last time I checked."

**Cubes' Living Room-10:00PM**

"Hey, Soda…" At the mention of his name Soda's eyes shot open and he sat erect on Cube's couch. He looked around the room. Jazz was the only person in the room who was awake, standing and looking directly at him so it was safe to assume she had called him.

"Can I speak to you for a minute?"

He felt a little groggy. Had he really been that tired? "Sure…what's up?"

Jazz looked around. Rythe was crashing on the larger of Cube's sofas. Gum was resting her eyes and Combo was raiding the fridge. The kitchen was divided from the living room only by a walkway, no door. Boogie wasn't anywhere nearby, which could complicate things. Yoyo wasn't around either but it wouldn't matter if he heard them.

"Maybe someplace a little more…private?"

"Huh?" He stared at her for a few seconds, "Oh…you wanna talk about that now?"

He got up as she nodded. They headed to an empty bedroom.

* * *

**Bed Room**

Cube sat in a folding chair next to the bed that Corn was lying on. She leaned it back on its back legs and rested it against the wall. She faced the opposite wall in complete silence. She took out a pack of menthols and started smoking one of her two remaining cigarettes. She took a long drag, and then slowly exhaled as she repositioned her chair so that she was facing Corn.

"So how'd all of this happen?"

"Huh?" Corn was caught off guard by the sudden question, "Well I thought you saw it. We started mixin' it up and after a couple minutes he pulls a gun and shoots."

"I meant how'd you all wind up together?"

Corn looked up at Cube as best as he could without causing himself severe pain.

"Gimme one o' those and I'll tell you."

Cube handed him her last cigarette. Corn smoked it with gusto "Thanks, I was really Jonesin' there. You wanted to know how we all came together, right?"

Cube nodded, "Yes I want to know how and why exactly they all joined up with you."

Corn took a long drag from his cigarette. "Damned if I know. They all just came one after another," he thought for a few seconds "it just seemed like everywhere we turned we would run into someone else. Then when Yoyo disappeared-"

As if on cue Yoyo entered the room, kicking the door open and scaring the shit out of them. "I found it," he exclaimed as he held up the defibrillator.

"Good," Cube began "just put it by the bed and go get some rest."

Yoyo looked at Corn. "Should he be smokin'?" he asked as he pointed at him.

"It relaxes me…shut up," Corn explained/commanded.

"Yeah but-"

"Yo, yo, yo…what it do?" Clutch entered. He was carrying a cooler full of medical supplies.

Cube smiled "It's about damn ti-…how'd you get that black eye?"

Clutch seemed agitated "Don't we have more important things to worry about?"

"Right…help me set everything up. Yoyo get Combo in here then go wait in the living room." With that they began they're preparations.

* * *

**_Black eye? Hmmm. How would Clutch get a black eye? Was it Garam? Was it Beat? Perhaps some other interloper? And how did they get all of those supplies anyway? Who is this surgeon he has a connection with? You'll have to wait to find out. Until then please read and review. I you haven't read the re-revisions of "Great Day," do it…they went up Friday (3/9/07)._**

**Next Episode: Enemies as Long as We Breathe.

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**

_**Oh by the way…I found the original copy of "Swing Blades" that I wrote, I forgot where I saved the original and had to rewrite a large part of it…anyway, this is a part of the original where Corn interrogates a junky that I unfortunately never completed…I think the new version is better but what do you think, could this have worked?

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**_

…It's strange how your thoughts can seem to, at times, dictate the behavior of others. At almost the exact instant that that thought crossed Corn's mind…Beat came to a stand still. He had stopped in front of a dilapidated apartment building. Beat entered, Corn waited outside. He got a good look at the building.

Several windows were boarded up with plywood. The windows that weren't boarded up were smashed. Bullet holes were visible on the walls. The front door was a metal door from a meat locker. There was no paint visible that wasn't chipped up in massive portions. Around the side of the building He could see people doing one of two things: shooting up heroin or leaning against the wall and enjoying their buzz.

Corn could only shake his head when it finally hit him: this was a crack house.

Corn couldn't believe this. Beat, of all the people that he knew, had to be the one on drugs. This shit was unbelievable. How long had Beat been doing this? Was this why he got kicked out of his home? It couldn't be Clutch or Garam or someone else he liked, it was the one guy he didn't like…this was a god send! Now he could kick Beat out of the GG's guilt-free.

_Calm down…think…there's gotta be more to this than you're seein'. Ask around about him. _Taking his own advice Corn walked up to the druggy nearest to him. The junky looked towards him as he approached, "Say brother…you gotta smoke on you?"

Reaching into his pocket Corn drew out a single cigarette. As the addict reached for it he pulled it away from him, "I'll give it to you if you answer some questions."

"Aw c'mon baby, don't be like that."

"Your loss," Corn placed the cigarette in his mouth.

"Okay, okay, what you wanna know?"

"Did you see that kid with the red hair go in there?" he nodded affirmatively, "Good, how often does he come here?"

"I don't know baby."

"Well that's too bad…" Corn raised his lighter.

"Every couple o' days man, every couple o' days!"

"Good, you're cooperatin'. Now what does he do when he comes here?"

"Man, the fuck kinda question's that? What does anyone do at a crack house?"

Corn actually lit the cigarette.

"He don't do nothin' baby, he just sleeps! He just sleeps here!"

* * *

_**I never finished this scene as I said before. Comments?**_


	14. TDCwS: Episode Deuce

**_I don't own JSRF…I DO own this fic so don't plagiarize. But enjoy now please…

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_**

**The Day Corn Was Shot **

**Episode: Enemies as Long as We Breathe.

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**

"**_Tired of the Medicaid, deaded by the car_**

**_No containers filled with lemonade,  
'You better get a job!' mother talked…_**

**_just another hawk,  
He nearly ate a bodega food stamp transaction;  
Left me in corners buckled me accompanied by evil hands clappin'  
_**

**_Rockin' my "hell I made it" wetsuit stitch,  
So I can swim in elevators crazy wet through piss;  
I rock my simulated air tank bit,  
So I can leave pressures of oxygen where my mic's lit."_**

**-"Pigeon" by Cannibal Ox (Vordul Mega)

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**

**_A.K.: Actually that is kind of the way I always figured Corn would be, not taking a serious situation too seriously and making sure that no one else takes it too seriously even though in his heart of hearts he takes it very seriously; One of those guys that doesn't stress out about stuff that's out of his control, but can very much be pushed over the edge. The funny thing is that this is yet another story that I started a year ago.

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_**

**_Everyone Else: All right. Let's review what we know so far kids. Corn has bullets in his back, leg and arm. Combo is on the verge of an emotional breakdown and Gum is in shock. Clutch, Garam and Beat are out looking for more supplies. Yoyo believes the whole situation to be his fault and, now that Clutch has returned, Cube is preparing to put Corn under the knife. But what we don't know is just how Clutch got the supplies. And why did he have a black eye? Did anything happen between him and Garam? Why don't we find out?

* * *

_**

**99th Street-9:15PM**

_It was 9:10. Garam and Clutch were about three steps out of Cubes'. They hadn't even closed the door when they must've heard "I'm going too." They both looked back to see Beat strapping on his skates. "Huh?" they both seemed puzzled. _

"_I'm going too," he repeated._

"_Why? What if we need you here?" Jazz asked._

_Beat sighed. He pointed at Garam, "I don't trust to you let Clutch go to the clinic and come back. You've been holding a grudge against him and it would just be irresponsible to leave the two of you alone." _

_Clutch breathed a sigh of relief, but then Beat pointed at him, "And I don't trust you for the same reason that Garam doesn't. You might just be lying. If you are, you'll go and never come back. It's better if two of us go and keep an eye on you." _

"_So then, you want to keep an eye on Garam… keeping an eye on Clutch?" Boogie, who was standing behind them asked, semi-confused. _

_Beat turned around, "Yep, that's it...anyway they'll just fight if I don't go and we really don't have time for that._ _At least this way they won't get into any bullshit and stay focused on the task at hand…"_

Thinking back on it all, Beat felt like a total schmuck. He had volunteered for this so he could keep an eye on Garam and Clutch. He stopped paying attention for a single moment and Clutch was gone. It had only been five minutes!

"I'd hate to say 'I told you so'…" Garam began his sentence but never finished it. Beat had a look on his face that seemed to ask him if he really wanted to finish his sentence.

* * *

**Tokyo?-9:20 PM**

"**Live from…Tokyo? The station that changes its radio frequency every 1440 minutes (24 hours)! The FCC's most wanted pirate radio station 300 days and runnin', Jet Set Radio!**

**The Golden Rhinos most wanted radio personality for 20 days and countin', DJ Professor K!**

**And I'm issuin' them fools a little message…Ya want me? Y'all niggas better come get me. **

**But enough o' that. I come bearin' important news for anyone who wishes to hear it and if you don't wanna hear me, I'll give ya a moment to change the station, ok? **

**tick-tock, tick-tock**

**Good, now let's get down to it. It seems that hospitals and clinics all around Tokyo are on Golden Rhino lockdown.**

**That's right, every clinic and hospital, from Rokkaku-dai Heights to Chuo to Highway Zero and everything in between is being closely guarded by the Rhinos. And why you ask? Well it seems they shot a rudy and don't want him to get the medical treatment he needs. But who would they shoot? You won't believe me when I tell you.**

**Corn…that's right Corn. The leader of the GG's has been shot several times and is currently hidin' with his gang in a location that I know but won't dare to speak so as not to put my nigga in more danger than he's already in. If he goes to any hospital he and the rest of the GG's face incarceration, but if he doesn't receive medical treatment…he could die.**

**All of us at Jet Set Radio…and by that I mean myself and only myself as this is a one-man operation, wish my boy Corn a quick and painless recovery and a whole lotta luck…fuckin' with them Rhinos lord knows you'll need all the luck you can get. **

**This next one goes out to you boy…'Get Rich or Try Dying' by Despot…enjoy…"

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**

**99th Street-9:16PM**

"We'll find him," Beat said quietly to Garam.

"Where the hell could he have gone? How we s'posed to find him!?" Garam was both angry and frantic, his southern accent reflecting both.

**(Maybe I should have mentioned that I always thought of Garam as being either British or Southern)**

Beat eyed him "Think about it…it's only been…what, two minutes? He couldn't have gone that far. If we split up we could find him a bit quicker, but we'd have no way of contacting one another if we do…"

"Then fuck it, let's stick togetha. We ain't got time to debate the merits 'a splittin' up ove' stayin' togetha…what if we don't find him?"

"Then we go to the clinic anyway…he told us where it was."

"He also told us it's locked down."

"We'll find a way in…don't you worry."

With that they were on the move and hunting down the ruby-red rudy who had somehow made a quick and daring escape. Quick because no one saw him do it and daring because he would get his ass kicked if caught. They knew they'd catch him though.

They went through the tunnel that led to the Benten Dragon Tower Center. Once they were out of the tunnel they split up did a quick sweep of the entire center, on the hunt for anyone in red, but finding nothing. They spent a few more minutes searching then moved on to the next street.

**Benten Tower-9:25**

Clutched watched from the mid-section of the Dragon Tower. He could see quite clearly from his vantage point that his two pursuers had given up on looking around the tower and gone on to the next area. Now that he had, for the time being, lost them he could truly get to work. He jumped onto the dragon tail, grinding down it to the ground. He went directly to a nearby surplus store and made two purchases: an Igloo cooler, red, and a pair of shoes that were a size too small for him, also red. He proceeded through the open market to the twin bridges. Clutch was in no way shape or form worried about Garam or Beat; if he was right about them they would be right where he wanted them.

As he crossed the bridges he removed his red shirt and made a left turn…to insure that everything went as planned he needed to go the long way. Once he made it to Avenue A, the street to the far left, he stopped. Clutch traced the neon lights that snaked from building to building until he found the one that connected to the ground and ran along the path he needed it to run. He took off his skates and replaced them with the shoes, placing them in the cooler. Next he took his red shirt and twisted it into a rope and used it to strap the cooler to his back. He used the lowest portion of the neon light as a booster and jumped up to grab the higher portion that doubled back in the other direction.

He placed his feet into the wall and began to "walk" along the wall until he got to a certain point. He stopped and looked across from him then up, sure enough a light snaked overhead. He climbed up all the way onto the one he was holding (which was oddly cool) and once up jumped up to grab the higher neon light. He began to move his arms, right then left, forcing himself into motion…this was extremely difficult as he was at a dead hang with an Igloo cooler strapped to his back, not that it was heavy but the added weight sure as hell didn't help. Eventually he made it across to the other building. He swung his legs and let go sending himself flying onto the roof. He broke into a run, jumping over the small gaps between the buildings, and kept running until he reached his destination.

Across the street from him now was the clinic. At the front entrance were three Golden Rhino agents. Below him, much to his delight, were Beat and Garam who were hiding behind a dumpster and watching the Rhinos across the street. He had been correct in assuming they would go to the clinic anyway…good thing he remembered to tell them where it was.

The next part of his plan would require precision and timing…or a patsy, fortunately he had two. He carried with him two spray cans in the pocket of his pants. Ducking down he pulled one out and whipped it across the street hitting a Rhino in the face. Once he had their attention, he dropped the second one on the ground next to the dumpster…and right next to Garam, causing him and the Rhinos to turn toward it. Time for step three of his diversion. He stepped out over the edge of the roof; as he fell he angled himself perfectly, landing with both feet against Garams' back and pushing him out from behind the dumpster.

Garam flew out and landed on his face. As he got up to see what happened he saw that the Rhinos were advancing on him. He made a break for it. As he broke out and the Rhinos gave chase, Clutch charged the slowest agent and dive tackled him, shouldering his neck and pounding his face into the asphalt knocking him out cold. He got up to see the other two turning the corner after Garam. He turned to Beat, who was no longer hiding, and said "Go help your friend, I'll be out in a minute." With that he dashed into the clinic.

As Beat went after the Rhinos going after Garam a single thought crossed his mind, _Note to self: Clutch is not to be trusted._

**The Clinic- 9:45**

"Doc! Yo! Doc, where you at man?" Clutch called as he entered the privately owned clinic.

"Don't be so noisy…ah! Little Red! What can I do for you…and why the turtle look?" The doctor, a young man, about thirty, in a white coat over a black suit was actually quite surprised to see Clutch standing before him.

"I'd love t'stand around exchangin' pleasantries and whatnot Dr. Kim, but I've got a serious situation on my hands and desperately need your help. I need everything you got: I.V.s, penicillin, blood, and MRI…"

"MRI? What the hell do you need with an MRI?"

Clutch explained the entire situation to Dr. Kim. He told the entire story from beginning to end. By the end of his explanation Dr. Kim had quite a worried expression on his face. "You mean they were right outside my clinic waiting for you in plain view? That's terrible! Just terrible…now if you had said they were waiting in a car it would be believable, but right at my clinics' doorstep? That's just a terrible lie…" the man had jokes.

"I'm not lying!" Clutch yelled.

"See, I beg to differ…if you weren't my cousin I might believe you were telling the truth; unfortunately for you, you are my cousin and I know you as a lier."

Just then Beat and Garam burst into the clinic, tired and sucking air. Garam went straight to Clutch, punching him directly in the eye "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Clutch turned to Dr. Kim "If that don't show you I'm not lyin', I dunno what will!"

Beat and Garam both corroborated Clutch's story. Dr. Kim decided they must be telling the truth, anyone who hated Clutch that much wouldn't lie for him. They loaded what they needed into the cooler, well everything short of an MRI machine. Dr. Kim told them he'd drive them back and assist in any way he could.

* * *

**_-Time for them to get down to business…let's see what happens next. Will Corn survive? Will Yoyo give him the whole story surrounding his disappearance, like for example just who his "associate" really is? Find out…later…_**

_**Next Episode: Home Surgery**_

_**Review Me!!

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**_

**_This is another part of the original "Swing Blades." There is some information that no longer applies because I took the story (and by extension the series) in another direction…it's still pretty good though, y'know if you wanna laugh at what I was trying at about a year ago:

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_**

**June 26, 3:06pm**

**Six Days Until "eviction" from the Garage**

As is noted just above this sentence fragment, the GG's only had six days until they would be "evicted" (which was really planned to be more of a forced ejection involving Hayashi, a S.W.A.T. team, two Soviet Hind-D combat helicopters and a single, somewhat elderly, German Shepard) by what was formerly known as the Rokakku Group and is now know as the Committee for the Advancement and Betterment of Society (C.A.B.S.- I just made that up and it came out as a very nice acronym!).

**(_C.A.B.S. was originally going to be a new nemesis that ran the city…I couldn't find a way to work them into a story recently so I dropped them entirely._)**

This wasn't the only problem that Corn had. It had come to his attention that, with the exception of Gum, Cube, Combo, and himself, the GG's really had no place to live and were actually sleeping in the garage.

Soda had been crashing with a friend near Highway Zero, but when the Rhinos showed up the apartment was set aflame. Garam occasionally stayed over at Combo's apartment on Hikage Street **(_which he was going to lose anyway…and, as I mentioned in early in "S.B.", lost anyway_)**, but due to a lack of space they decided that they wouldn't be able share it. Jazz was recently kicked out of her home **(_I was planning to have Jazz move in with Cube eventually have them go les but I…well…forgot about that_)**, Rhyths' hovel collapsed, and Yoyo, Boogie and Clutch didn't have any place period. Gum lived with her parents who wouldn't put anyone up for more than a week at best **(_there was going to be a story behind all of this that would result in her running away_)**, and Cube simply couldn't afford to give up any extra space because she had a baby **(_Another story idea that I completely forgot about…oddly enough I was tinkering with that idea of a pregnancy recently_)**. The situation changed from them losing a very nice place to hang out, to most of them losing a home.

One thing bothered him though (besides the whole getting kicked off of public property thing. It was public property after all. Nobody lived there and from the look of it, it wasn't actually owned by anyone). From what he had heard from the homeless GG's, Beat did in fact have a place to live. However, it seemed he would occasionally decide to sleep at the garage. It didn't make sense to Corn. If Beat lived somewhere why wouldn't he just stay there?

**_

* * *

You see, "S.B." was originally a part of a different fanfic that I was writing parallel to this one…but my internet access got shut down for a while so I never got to put it up. I ultimately decided not to write it and thought I had deleted everything (because I didn't think it was any good)._**

**_The premise of the story was that the GG's were informed by the police that they would be permanently removed from the garage in two weeks, so having absolutely no way to avoid losing their home, they would search for a new one (which was originally why I came up with the apartment building on Dogenzaka Hill). Other than that it was pretty much the same idea…a series of random events that occur, this time over a span of two weeks._**

**_After some serious thought, however, I decided it was stupid and started over. I think I made the right choice, in retrospect, because I can only do so much with a two week time period. Comments? _**


	15. TDCwS: This is number three, enjoy!

**_I don't own JSRF…I DO own this fic so don't plagiarize. "Is that a mirror? Can I see it? How do I look? Like a fucking monster! You wouldn't want to see me under the mistleto…I'm 'Horror Clause'!

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_**

**The Day Corn Was Shot **

**Episode: Faux Pas.**

**(I decided to push Home Surgery to the next chapter)

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**

"_**Get rich or try dyin',**_

_**life for the buy in,**_

_**out with the beatin' heart and in with the diamond;**_

_**frown when the bleedin' starts and grin cause it's shinin';**_

_**here's to the late great man who left smilin'.**_

**_What a guy; He never died while he was alive._**

**_Slap him five; He never died while he was alive._**

**_Say goodbye; He never died while he was alive._**

**_Six million ways, never gave one a try."_**

**-"Get Rich or Try Dying" (hook) by Despot

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**_OH MY GOD!! 465 Hits and 15 reviews! And I've been added to 2 more favorites lists! As always I thank AssassinKyeste for reviewing (and for telling me that the ideas I dropped were "kick ass"), but now I also have to thank Volian for reviewing and again for adding my story to his/her alert and favorites list. Also thanks to Horror Clause for the add (ATHF!).

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**Assassin K._: I was already planning to still do Gum and her parents, I just need a plausible reason for a falling out. As far as Cubes' pregnancy…I was gonna make the baby Combos' but when I really thought about it I decided not to run with the idea because I felt that I would need to cover the whole nine months to really close out the story. For now I don't want the time period to extend past six months. Maybe when I run out of other ideas…speaking of which, you said you had some ideas! Seriously, if you have some e-mail them to me, I'd love to see them…and I'll be sure to credit you for the ones I use.

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**Volian_: Thank you for your many compliments. Characterization was easy because I consider the characters hollow shells (in the game…for the most part), so all I had to do was create their personalities from scratch, easy. Also it's the "little things" that make a big difference in the quality between yours' and another writers' stories.

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**99th Street, Cubes' House- 10:05pm**

Corn winced as Dr. Kim pressed the I.V. into his skin. They had already cleaned his wounds and were preparing to give him morphine, "How did you get this guy to come with you anyway?" he asked Clutch.

Clutch was sitting in the folding chair that Cube had been sitting in earlier. He held an ice pack to his eye, "Like I said before," he began "I have connections."

"Bullshit," Dr. Kim said loudly, causing Corn and Cube to look at each other and chuckle/giggle; Clutch knew full well that he had come of his own volition. "Cube, get me some morphine from the cooler."

"On it."

"Clutch," he looked at his cousin (the others weren't aware of this fact).

"What?"

"Why don't you do something to make yourself useful instead of just sitting on your ass."

"I'm hurt…and tired. Gimme a break."

Cube glowered at him, "Corn's hurt and tired, you just don't wanna be around Garam-"

"And rightfully so."

Corn chuckled, "Pussy."

Clutch rose to his feet angrily, but sat back down when Cube grabbed a morphine needle and raised it overhead, signifying that she would very willingly and easily stab him. She lowered it when he sat back down, "Look, either you do something constructive to help us or you pull your fuckin' skirt up and fight Garam…'cause you're not gonna just sit around here, that's for damn sure."

Her harsh words earned a smirk from Dr. Kim "Emergency rooms don't have bleachers."

"Whatever…" Clutch sneered. He left the room.

There was silence in the room after he left. It remained silent, with the exception of the sounds of Cube and the Doctor prepping Corn, until Corn gently poked Cube in the side. "You know what I want more than anything right now?" she shook her head "A cigarette…a cigarette and a mint julep…but mostly a cigarette, can I have another?"

"We're about to perform a surgery and all you can think about is cigarettes?"

"You're the one carrying a pack with her."

"You should really consider quitting."

"I'll quit when I'm dead."

"You aren't too far from that…I say now's the perfect time to light 'em up," Dr. Kim joked. Cube scowled at him.

Corn picked the conversation back up, "That's not all I'm thinkin' about."

Cube looked down at him "What else are you thinkin' about?"

"Oh, you know…anything to get my mind off the excruciating pain…songs, boobs…"

Cube smiled a little when he said boobs.

"My parents…I haven't seen them in a while…"

"Yeah? How long?"

Corn thought for a second, "About…well, goin' on four years now I think-"

"Four years!?" she was shocked.

"Yep."

"Why so long?"

"I just haven't been back home in a while."

"But four years? Japan's a big island, but it's not that big. How hard would it really be to go back home, even just for a little while?"

"I'm not from Japan, so a lot harder than you think."

Cube looked surprised, "You're not Japanese?"

"I'm Japanese, but I'm not from Japan. I'm from Detroit"

"You're from Michigan? What're you doin' out here?"

"I moved here to live with Gum a few years ago."

"You lived together? Wait…how did you know her."

"She moved from Osaka to Detroit when we were both five. About six years ago she moved back. When she moved to Tokyo it was about the same time that I was getting' into trouble at home. I was still in contact with her pretty regularly. She convinced her dad to convince my parents to send me here to live with them. About three years ago…no…you'll have to ask her about that…long story short, her father dies, her mother remarries and her step-father kicks me out…that was last year."

Cube mulled over his story for a moment "That doesn't explain why you're still here."

"Huh?"

Dr. Kim, who had been silently listening to their conversation, spoke, "If you came here and you've been here for about four years, shouldn't you have a passport and maybe some money for a ticket back to Detroit?"

"A ticket's no problem…unfortunately I lost my passport."

"Oh."

"Sucks to be you."

Corn either smirked or sneered…they couldn't tell from where they were looking.

* * *

**Kitchen**

Clutch sat at the small table in the kitchen watching the microwave heat a cupful of water as he played with a tea bag. Everyone has a different way of describing the feeling of being watched. Some would say it's like daggers in your back, others would say there's a burning sensation. For Clutch it felt as though someone were staring through him and directly into his soul…it wasn't pleasant. He drummed his fingers on the counter. It was no surprise that he knew who was staring at him.

Yoyo, Jazz and Soda all entered the kitchen. Yoyo spoke, "Clutch?"

"'Sup?" He gave them his full attention.

"We need to talk."

"'Bout what?"

Soda rolled his eyes, "You know what about."

"…"

"…"

"..All right…just gimme a minute."

* * *

**Living Room**

"…You didn't have to hit him, you know." Beat said to Garam as he flipped through a large stack of vinyl records that lay on the floor next to a record player.

"He ain't have to send me flyin' at 'em like he did," Garam said nonchalantly.

"How else would we have gotten them away from the door?"

"We coulda found a way."

"We were behind that dumpster for ten minutes…we were lucky he showed up when he did." He found an interesting record and gently removed it from its' cover, placing it on the record player.

Garams' only response was to blow hot air from his nostrils.

The record began to play…Chopin, "The Funeral March." The song played loudly.

Gum had been sitting in an arm chair next to the record player. Up until then she was simply keeping to herself, but when Beat played that horrible song to satisfy his own morbid sense of humor she couldn't just sit there anymore…at least not with that song playing. She composed herself and looked up at him from her seat, "Is that really appropriate?"

Normally he would do whatever he could to get her attention, but right now it was something that Beat simply didn't want. He had so clearly angered her and now, unfortunately, had her full attention. "I think it's quite appropriate."

"I don't; turn it off," her words were curt and very to the point.

"I'll turn it off in a minute," Beat said and diverted his attention from her…bad move.

As soon as his eyes were off of her, she rose out of her seat just enough to reach out and grab him by his throat…which she did…hard. She pulled him down until they were eye to eye. Her eyes were hard and cold as stone. Yep…she was definitely mad. "You'll turn it off now or I'll snap your scrawny neck," she said squeezing his throat as hard as she could...which of course was very hard as she was quite strong…a lot stronger than he would have thought from looking at her, and he had forgotten that when she gets angry she gets downright dangerous. Strength and a poor disposition was clearly a bad combination.

"Okay…all right…just let go," Beat managed to squeeze those words out before he completely ran out of air, he didn't want to die over his faux pas. She let him go and he changed the record…this time to "March of the Toreadors."

She sat back down, closing her eyes but still, visibly, very angry.

Beat turned to Garam who merely shook his head and said, "You're stupid."

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_**-I don't like Beat much so I like to see him get hurt...often. I'm sure you've figured that out by now though...unless you haven't reallybeen paying attention. Again, "Home Surgery" will be the next chapter.**_

_**Review it, read it again and learn to love it!**_


	16. TDCwS: IV

**_I don't own JSRF…I DO own this fic so don't plagiarize. Love it or Shove it…

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**The Day Corn Was Shot **

**Episode: Home Surgery**

**(Would I lie to you?)

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"…**_Bloodsuckers cast no reflection,  
in my prism detention, they hate  
on prison's intentions, get diesel, read a book,  
find god in a cell block, that's your fate;  
I'm that voice in the back of LL's head saying,  
"You gonna let a weed plant do that?" yeah, I like to instigate._**

**_  
This aint a space race so why you rushin'  
to be the first to catch a concussion, from El-P's percussion?  
Watch me throw a sentence in the air, say "word up";  
that's just a phrase for my action, like a bum with a cup."_**

**-"Real Earth" by Cannibal Ox (actually just Vast Air)

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_**Reviews and hits are what keeps me going (more so for reviews than hits); keep them coming!**_

**_In the last chapter I wanted to get a little background info on Corn; I pretty much pulled the whole Detroit thing out of nothing and just ran with it. It's not like the game gives any info on where he's from so I can really just make shit up…I could have said he was raised in a mental institution if I wanted._**

**_Despite what happened with Beat, I plan to at some point make him and Gum boyfriend and girlfriend…of course the relationship ends after about two weeks, with a little help from Corn (but you already know that; see "SB part 3") but there won't be a relationship with Corn (again you already know who the next relationship is with; see "Halloween part 5").  
Reading over my work I think I've been sending the wrong vibes so I'll clarify before it's brought up…there will be no Corn/Cube anywhere ever. Again, I thought that I should clarify before there is any confusion…also I think at some point I should organize my stories chronologically…or not…depends on my mood really.

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**99th Street, Cubes' House- 10:27pm**

Outside the bedroom Combo stood in front of the closed door. It was his assignment to insure that no one entered and disturbed the doctor and "his lovely assistant."

Inside the room Corn's eyes were shut tight. A small amount of drool hung out of the side of his mouth. He snored semi-loudly.

Cube waved her hand in front of his face…nothing, "Yeah, he's out."

Dr. Kim had a scalpel in his hand. He was about to cut the edges of one of Corns' wounds but stopped, "You gave him the morphine right?"

She looked at him like he was high, "You know I did…you were watching me do it."

"Whatever…what about the Novocain?"

"Yeah. Is that stuff really gonna work?"

"You should know, it was in your bathroom."

"But I only was really using it to pull out peoples teeth…"

He stared at her, "That's disturbing…you're insane." He made a cut on the first wound in Corns' back, holding a small light over it.

"Why am I insane? Just because I pull out peoples teeth? That doesn't make me crazy."

"Are you doing it for a good reason, or are you doing it for fun?"

The looked upwards in thought, "Um…torture counts towards fun, right?"

"Yeah…you're crazy…hand me those tweezers please."

"C'mon, I'm no crazier than anyone else," she handed him the tweezers and watched as he pulled a bullet out.

"No one else is as crazy as you," he placed the bullet on a nearby tray and started on the next wound.

Cube began to stitch the first wound, "We're all a little crazy…I know I am."

* * *

**Another Bedroom**

Yoyo looked at everyone in the room, "Okay…so we're all in agreement?" Jazz, Clutch and Soda all nodded, "good…when Cube finishes in there, we let her know."

Clutch raised his hand, "Then what?"

"Then the five of us tell Corn," Soda answered the question for him.

"Wait, wait, wait…we're gonna tell Corn about this?"

Yoyo nodded, "That's the plan."

"And he's just going to take it all in stride? Come on, the guy's gonna go ape-shit!"

"Well, he's going to find out eventually. That is if he hasn't already decided to approach us about it," Jazz told Clutch. "At least this way we'll be coming clean instead of him having to drag it out of us…that's definitely gotta earn us some positive points."

"Oh yeah…he might just decide not to kill us all."

Yoyo sighed, "Dude…you gotta think positive, yo."

"Yeah," Jazz began, "it'll work out."

Soda nodded, "For real…I'm tellin' you."

Clutch sighed. _Over-optimistic fools…_"Fine…but don't say I didn't warn any of you."

_Hmm…I should probably keep this to myself…for now at least,_ Boogie, leaned away from the door and proceeded down the hallway to the bathroom...she really had to pee.

* * *

**Living Room**

Rhyth sat up on the couch. She yawned and stretched as she threw her feet out onto the floor. She leaned forward a bit and scratched her back then pulled her neck to the side, cracking it. She started to get a good feel for her surroundings. There was music. Of course that was obvious since that was exactly what had woken her up in the first place. She looked to her left and saw a record player…what song was that…she'd heard it before…_fire…by…Jimi Hendrix_. That was definitely the name of the song…or was it?

She looked to her right. There were two figures sitting there_…So blurry…oh! Garam and Beat…_they were doing something at the coffee table…she couldn't tell what it was…a game. A game with a lot of white pieces…_Mah-jong? No…Dominoes? Yeah that's it!_ She stood up, groaning a little as she did. Her entire body ached, _this must be exhaustion…doesn't feel too good_. As her vision began to clear she got another good look around the room. Several people were missing…_Corn and Cube are in her bedroom I think…Garam and Beat are in here…where's everyone else?_ She started to walk towards what she presumed to be a kitchen, knees aching.

She stopped at the kitchen entrance and reached down to hold her right knee, for some reason it hurt more than her left.

"It's about time you woke up."

Rhyth looked up to see Gum leaning against the counter…possibly drinking coffee. Something was a little different about her though…_she's not wearing her helmet_.

_Of course she isn't, why would she be? We're in doors stupid…_

"Are you alright?"

She returned focus to Gum, who now had an eyebrow raised as she watched the smaller girl. Rhyth only nodded. Gum approached her and placed a hand on her forehead, "Nothing wrong there…you want some coffee?"

Rhyth shook her head. _Stop shaking your head and say something!_ "No that's okay…I'm fine."

"You sure? You've been asleep for a while…" she looked a bit concerned.

"I'm sure…really," she smiled a bit. _Well aren't you just so sure of yourself…stop trying to put on a strong front for her…you know she already knows you're just a weak little girl…_ Her stomach grumbled catching her and her inner monologue by surprise.

Gum laughed, "Looks like you could use a snack, huh?"

Rhyth scratched her head and stuck her tongue out a little…of course she was terribly embarrassed inside, _"I'm fine…really,"_ her inner monologue did its' best impression of her, _really…you're just like a little child trying to impress the grown-ups…just accept who you are: a weak, little baby-girl._

_Shut up! Leave me alone!_

_Don't you ever tell me to shut up! I'll leave when I'm good and god damn ready!_

Rhyth looked over to Gum; she was digging through Cubes' cupboards, "There isn't much here so she'd probably get mad if we ate too much…" She pulled down a box of cereal, "She eats lucky charms? Whatever…hey Rhyth? You want some-" she turned to see Rhyth gripping her head in both hands.

_

* * *

Leave me alone, leave me alone, leave me alone. Leave me alone!_

_Shut the hell up! Stop being such a damn baby! _

_Stop it!_

_What are you going to do? Are you going to cry? Is that it? You're going to cry? Go ahead and cry!! _

_Why are you doing this? Why do you do this to me?_

_Because you won't! You won't accept the truth about yourself so every time you lie to yourself I'll be right here to tell you the truth!_

_I'm not lying to myself!_

_There you go again…lying to yourself again!_

_But I'm not-_

_Yes you are…every time you think you're happy, every time you think you're having fun, every time you think you have friends…really…friends? Who could possibly like-_

"Rhyth! Are you alright? What's wrong?" Gum wore a very worried expression on her face.

_Oh…her again…_

"I…I'm fine…did you see any aspirin on the shelf?" _Liar! Why don't you tell her…why don't you tell her about me!? Would she still be your "friend?"_

Gum pulled down a small bottle of Tylenol. She shook one out and handed it to Rhyth with a half-full glass of water. She watched her carefully as she sat down at the table, swallowed the pill and downed the water, "Are you sure you're alright?"

Rhyth was quiet for a moment, "…No…I'm not sure…"

"What's wrong?"

Rhyth heaved a heavy sigh and began "…I think I might be crazy…"

Gum stared wide-eyed at her. She cracked a smile as she blinked, "What?"

"I think I'm crazy…" Rhyth repeated in all seriousness.

"Come on…"

"I'm serious…I keep hearing a voice in my head…"

Gum smirked, "Is it telling you to do things to me…bad things? Like kill me and burry me in the park?"

Rhyth was hurt, "Stop making fun of me…it was right about you…you really aren't my friend…"

Gum stopped giggling, she stopped smiling; she stopped doing anything that would in any way reflect that she was the least bit happy, "…Why would it say that?"

"…Because she likes for me to be unhappy."

Gum raised an eyebrow, "Who's she?"

_Oops…you fucked up… _Rhyth looked down at the table "…My mother…"

"That's the voice in your head?"

She nodded.

"Why would your mother want you to be unhappy?"

"Because my father always wanted me to be happy…she hated my father. She knew that the best way to get him back was to make me unhappy…"

"Why would she need to get him back?"

Rhyth sighed, "…He cheated on her…with a woman that he had been friends with for a long time…they would always fight about it…she'd always drink…and she'd always make my life miserable. But the thing is, he would always treat me well. He always wanted to see me happy. Actually…one time I asked him about it…when I was little. He told me that he always wanted me to be happy because it always made him happy, but sometimes he wanted something else to make him happy. That was the explanation he gave me, at least."

Gum felt ashamed of herself for prying, "I had no idea…is that why she thought she'd be getting him back?"

"Yeah…it never really worked though, at least not at first…when she'd make me unhappy, he'd just make me even happier…but then…he said he had had enough…he said that he was tired of the way she always treated me…he was tired of her…he wanted to leave and take me with him…away from her."

"He left?"

"He tried to…she killed him."

"What!?"

"She poisoned him…us. She put it in our food one night a few years ago, hers' too…they both died. I hadn't eaten much so I survived."

"I guess you were lucky…ish."

"No…I should be dead…he tasted it in the food. He realised what she had done and took my food from me…he ate it all and sent me to my room…That was the last time I saw him alive…I think he called an ambulance for me a little while before they died."

They were both quiet for a moment, "So that's why you've been hearing her voice?"

She nodded, "Every time I feel the slightest bit of happiness, I hear her voice and I'm unhappy again…"

Gum pulled Rhyth close to her and placed her forehead against Rhyths'.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Shh…close your eyes."

They sat that way for five minutes, forehead to forehead and eyes closed. It was quiet. It was very quiet. The silence was screaming at her…but then she heard it…she could hear it…

_Well isn't this nice…not only are you stupid but your so called friends are idiots too…well I suppose birds of a feather-_

_**Shut up…**_

…_What?_

_**I said shut up…**_

…_Who said that?_

_**Shut the fuck up!**_

…_Who are you? How dare you-_

**_No, how dare you! How dare you do this to your own daughter! How dare you treat her this way! How dare you tell her she has no friends…I'm her friend and I'm telling you to shut the fuck up and leave her alone!_**

…_She's right…how dare you…_

_You be quiet!_

**_No you be quiet…I told you to shut up!_**

_Get out! You don't belong here!_

…_You don't belong here either!_

_Now you listen to me-_

_No! You listen to me! My whole life you did nothing but make me miserable…all you ever did was yell at me and beat me and curse me!! Every time I was happy you made me unhappy, all because you were unhappy…you were never a real mother to me! And to top it all off you tried to murder me!!_

…_Ryoko-_

_Shut the fuck up!! I hope you're burning in Hell right now!! Get out!! Don't ever bother me again!!_

_..but-_

_Get out!!_

_**You heard her, get out!**_

_Don't ever come back!!

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_

There was silence. Rhyth opened her eyes to see Gum looking at her…she was smiling. _How did we do that?_ "What happened?"

"We showed her that you do have friends…don't ever listen to people like that, they don't care about you. They only make you doubt yourself. If you remain confident you'll grow stronger, and those kind of people will never be able to hurt you."

Rhyth felt tears roll down her face. Gum leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her smaller friend.

Rhyth mentally thanked her…and then she wondered if Gum heard her…

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**_-How cool was that? I figure that since we already know what's going on with Corn it would suffice to simply drop in on him every now and then. I really wanted to use this chapter to characterize the other…characters rather than describe the whole surgery. I wanted a chance to show you my view of the other characters…although I chose not to do Combo because I already have quite a few chapters of the overall fic that characterize him…and I was planning to do one that focuses entirely on him as well as others that focus entirely on single characters…sooner or later._**

**_Review it niggas!_**


	17. Corn Finale

**_I don't own JSRF…I DO own this fic so don't plagiarize. Fuck real fruit juice…this is made with 100 pure AWSOME!

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**The Day Corn Was Shot**

**Episode: Low Class Conspiracy

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"**_Hold the cold one  
like he hold an old gun,  
like he hold the microphone  
And stole the show for fun;  
_**

**_Or a foe for ransom,  
flows is handsome,  
O's in tandem,  
anthem, random, tantrum!  
_**

**_Phantom of the Grand Old Opery ask the dumb hottie,  
mask pump shoty  
somebody stop me!  
Hardly come sloppy on a retarded hard copy,  
after rockin' parties he departed in a jalopy!"_**

**-"Rhinestone Cowboy" by Madvillain

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**Sorry this took so long, I've been very busy lately. I have to write another short story for my Creative Writing class…I'm not allowed to just turn one of these in because it's "illegal"**

**Thank You: Hoof the Magnificent Bastard for adding my story to your favorites.**

**A.K.: _Honestly, I was originally going to just have them have a normal conversation, but while I was doing her inner monologue I just said, "You know what (cause I say that to myself sometimes) I can build on this." I did the whole thing on a whim and the Rhyth/Gum psychic link came to me in a stroke of genius…and ego. Seriously, some of my best ideas are completely spontaneous._**

**Volian: _Pure awesome…lol…when I read that I couldn't stop laughing. Actually I'm not too into angst either…and Rhyth and Gum aren't a couple…for now. As for what Yoyo and the others are up to…well…you'll just have to read on won't you? _**

**_As long as I'm telling the truth, I only really decided to focus on Rhyth because I only mentioned her once in the first part of the story, I felt like I needed to do more for her largely because I've done a lot for Beat and I don't even like him (and unlike Volian, I like Rhyth), it just wouldn't be fair.

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**99th Street, Cubes' House- 11:50pm**

Cube emerged from her bedroom pulling off the clear rubber gloves and tossing them into a wastebasket in front of her. She looked to her left and saw that Combo was asleep in his chair by the door. She smirked then turned and went down the hall to the living room. She saw in the living room only three people: Clutch, Soda and Boogie.

Upon asking she found out that Garam and Beat had stepped out for a smoke, as she had told them not to smoke in the living room. She opened the door to find them on them slap-boxing. She chewed them out for making noise, knowing that the Golden Rhinos were out looking for them. They came inside and sat down…noticeably quite far away from Clutch.

Cube found out that Soda was in the bathroom and Jazz was in another bedroom. She went back down the hall and found Yoyo beating on the bathroom door; he said that Soda was hogging the bathroom. Through the door Soda said that he had only just gone in. Cube told Soda to go to the living room when he finished; she also told Yoyo to "go piss outside…and don't touch anything when you come back inside."

She left the dejected Yoyo alone and proceeded down the hall to the other bedroom. She opened the door and found Jazz curled up on the bed. She wasn't wearing her pants and Cube could see a small heart tattooed on her upper thigh. Cube gently shook her awake and told her to come to the living room. She left and could see Jazz putting on her pants as she closed the door behind her.

She went started back to the living room, stopping momentarily to shake Combo awake, and heard someone softly speaking in the kitchen. She entered to find Gum and Rhyth eating her cereal. _Son of a bitch…there goes my breakfast_.

She threw them a half-assed wave, "Hey…"

"Cube?" Gum stood up from her seat and approached her, "What happened? Is Corn okay?"

"He's fine, he's sleeping…he's kinda weird..."

Gum relaxed a bit, "Yeah…he's like that sometimes…well, most of the time…all of the time."

Cube snickered, "Yeah well, come to the living room, I'm gonna tell everyone."

"Oh, okay…" she started to follow Cube out of the kitchen, then realized that she had forgot something, "Rhyth, c'mon."

Rhyth quickly shoveled the remaining spoonfuls of Lucky Charms into her mouth and followed the other two girls out of the kitchen.

* * *

**Living Room**

"Okay, alright everyone stop talkin' for a minute…shut the fuck up!" Cube yelled.

Beat raised his hand, "Nobody was talking."

"Yeah I know, I always wanted to do that though."

"You're crazy."

"We're all a little crazy-"

"I know you are."

Cube stared at him spitefully, _How dare he finish my line! I'm gonna fuck him up later._ "Okay listen everyone, we're all finished in there, Corn should be fine."

Cheers and applause.

"He won't be able to leave the bed for a couple of days."

Moans.

"But…he doesn't have any long-term damage so he shouldn't have any long-lasting pain and should be 100 when he can finally start moving again."

Cheers.

"Now, I know it's been kind of a long night…unfortunately I only have two other bedrooms so most of you are gonna have to sleep out here in the living room…how do you wanna decide who gets the bed rooms?"

Clutch spoke up, "How about a coin toss?"

Cube shook her head, "How do we do that? There are eleven of us." _Dumb ass…_

Rhyth raised her hand, "Why don't we draw straws?"

"That sounds logical…unfortunately the closest thing I have to straws is cue tips…and I can't find those."

"You can't find anything in your house," Clutch mumbled under his breath.

Cube walked to a nearby bookshelf and pulled out a copy of war and peace…she threw it at Clutch, hitting him in the face, much to the delight of several others…well actually everyone in the room.

"Why don't we just race to the rooms?" Yoyo suggested.

"How many of you feel like running?"

No one raised their hand.

"Why don't we just pick numbers between one and, say…twenty?" Gum asked.

"Because I'd have to eliminate myself…I want a bed too."

Gum sighed.

Clutch was holding his nose, pretty sure that Cube had broken it, "Well why don't we just see who contributed the most and therefore deserves the two beds…"

"I hate to admit it but he has a good idea," Garam agreed.

"Okay…let's see," Cube began, "Clutch, Garam and Beat all went to get the medical supplies…and I actually helped with the surgery…I say I get both beds."

"What?"

"But I have to give one away so Clutch would be the one to get the other bed…"

Garam and Beat rose angrily, "Bullshit! He did the same shit we did!"

Clutch turned to them, "No, see that's where it's different…I actually got into the clinic, you two hid behind a dumpster."

Garam turned to him with his fist raised, and Clutch squared up to fight him.

"That's enough!"

They shut up.

"Clearly neither of you are deserving of my beds so I'll decide…Jazz, you were already sleepin' in one of them so you get that bed. Gum, I'm sure this has all been harder on you than anyone else here, so you get the other bed…Rhyth, you can share a bed with Jazz, I'll share with Gum, Combo gets the couch and Boogie gets the recliner because you two haven't annoyed me tonight…the rest of you, on the floor! Oh…and Clutch? You sleep in the bath tub!"

"What?"

"Bath tub, now!"

Clutch slogged off to the bathroom.

Rhyth raised her hand, "Can I share with Gum instead?"

Cube raised an eyebrow, then quickly dropped it back down, "Yeah, sure…whatever…as long as I get a bed."

* * *

**Day After Next- 10:07am**

Corn woke-up fucked up. He felt like his body was broken in half and duct-taped back together. He felt like someone had taken a ditch-witch to his back and left it there. How long had he been asleep? He smelled incense…someone had been thoughtful enough to burn incense near the bed…was that blood he tasted in his mouth?

Fuck it. He did a push-up and raised himself in an attempt to get out of, or more accurately off of, the bed…it failed. Maybe he could roll out? He rolled onto his back and immediately screamed. It took him a moment to roll back over onto his stomach. He hadn't noticed before how wet the sheets were…he prayed to god that it was sweat and not urine.

New plan…he moved his legs off of the bed and dropped them to the floor. He gathered all of his strength into his legs, spreading them out and placing his feet a good two and a half to three feet apart. He now shifted his strength to his arms and pushed until he was standing upright. There were crutches placed against the wall…how did he not notice those? Well it was inconsequential anyway; they would have just made it harder to get up.

His shirt was folded-up and placed on a chair. He reached for it and managed to get it on despite the unbelievable, though not necessarily unbearable, pain he was in. He grabbed the crutches and left the room. He heard some talking in the kitchen. He got to the entrance and saw a little over half of the remaining GG's. _Let's see…_he tried to remember their names. There was Clutch, the thief...Jazz and Soda, whom he had some unanswered questions about…Yoyo and Cube, whom he had even more unanswered questions about…Gum and Rhyth were there, but Rhyth was on her way out of the kitchen and into the living room.

Yoyo looked up as soon as Corn stepped into the kitchen, "Hey…have a nice nap?"

"How long was I out?"

"About a day and a half," Cube answered, "you should still be in bed."

"I'm a quick healer."

"You smell like feet," Gum said.

"I haven't bathed and I woke up in a puddle of either sweat or urine."

"It could have been I.V. fluid…"

"Couldn't I have died if that was I.V. fluid?"

"Depends on how long it was loose," Cube answered.

"How long was it loose?"

"No idea…"

"But-"

Yoyo decided it was time to interrupt the conversation that was going nowhere, "Corn, we have something we need to talk about."

Corn heading for the coffee pot that was on the counter, "Let me guess…you're going to explain to me why Clutch knew you were in the F.R.Z., how Cube knew that the Noise Tank was an imposter, and why exactly Jazz and Soda suddenly appeared out of the blue when you disappeared…" he poured a cup of coffee, "did I leave anything out?"

Everyone was silent, they were stunned. Jazz broke the silence, "I told you he was already thinkin' about that…"

"What I don't understand…" he sipped from his cup, "is why you decided to tell me this later rather than sooner…" he was speaking directly to Yoyo now, "did you think I would care about being in danger if you told me about what you were doing?"

Yoyo was still. He looked away, then he looked back to him and nodded.

"What are you, stupid? It really never occurred to you that I may have wanted to know about the Rhinos before all of this shit happened? It's not like I wouldn't have kept what you were doing on the D.L." He took another sip of his coffee, "Don't get it wrong, I'm not mad…it's too late to be mad now, I'm just disappointed in you because I would have expected you to put a bit more thought into how you went about this whole situation."

Everyone involved lowered their heads. Gum stood up and gave Corn her seat, "For the record, I'm just finding this out."

"I'd assume so."

Clutch was confused, "How did you know about this?"

Corn gave him his attention, "I woke up after the surgery…Cube filled me in on everything."

They all looked at Cube. "You told him?" Soda asked her.

"I knew he was already thinking about it…when he woke up he asked me about it, so I told him."

"Why didn't you tell us you told him?"

"Because I figured he'd ask you about it anyway…there was a lot of stuff that I didn't know anyway, so I thought it would be best if you filled in the blanks for him."

He pointed his finger at her, "But you could've told us that and you didn't."

She shrugged, "Slipped my mind…"

"Anyway…" Corn interrupted Soda before he could speak, leaving him with his mouth open, "what matters is that you're all going to tell me what part each of you played in all of this…I'll decided whether I'm mad at you later."

* * *

**Half an Hour Later**

"…Wow." That was all Corn could say when they told him the truth.

They told him about everything. About how Yoyo and Clutch had been tracking down every lead they could find on the internet about the Golden Rhinos. How they were being followed by agents. How the agents burned down Clutch's safe-house and forced him into hiding.

They revealed that Cube had actually been actively helping them track down information about the Golden Rhinos, which of course she omitted when she originally told Corn about her part in the overall series of events. How because of Cube, who it turned out already knew both Clutch and Yoyo, Clutch found out exactly where they were holding Yoyo hostage.

How Clutch actually enlisted Jazz and Soda, whom he knew but Yoyo had never met before, as help in his "master plan to save Yoyo," it was their job to get him information on all of the other GG's and get it to Clutch, who of course got their attention in his own way.

Corn folded his arms and closed his eyes. He thought about the entire situation. Everyone watched him in anticipation, expecting him to explode on them.

"Okay…here's what we're gonna do," he began.

The collective thought of everyone in the room was_ here it comes…_

"We are…going to keep this on the D.L. until this entire situation is resolved."

They said it in unison, "Huh?"

"We're going to keep this to ourselves until it's all over…did you here me Boogie?"

Boogie stepped into the room; she had been eavesdropping from outside the room.

"Rhyth you can come in too…"

She had also been eavesdropping.

"There are nine of us in here right now…we keep this from Beat, Garam and Combo until it's all over."

Gum wasn't sure about that, "Is that really necessary?"

"We don't need to get them all worried about it…we'll tell them later, for now we should keep it between us…we'll tell them what they need to know about the Rhinos, the information that Yoyo, Clutch and Cube found, but we'll keep them in the dark about everything else for now."

"Are you sure about that?" Rhyth asked him.

"I wouldn't say it if I wasn't sure…" he looked around the room then turned his attention to his coffee, "most of you don't agree with me, but that's how it's gonna go down…just accept it and we can move on."

Everyone was quiet.

"Okay…now, let's run through everything that you found out about them. What are their goals and how do we take them down?"

Again they were shocked. "You don't wanna rest a little longer?" Clutch asked him.

"Rest…fuck that, I'm mad now. The sooner we shut them down, the better…"

They were all relieved; Corn had obviously made a full recovery.

* * *

**_-How about that? I left it open ended so you could simply inject this into the regular game story. Again, I'm sorry I took so long. I have to write a short story for my Creative Writing class at my college. It's a bit harder than writing a fanfic because you have to create your own characters…I'm working on my characters and I think I have them figured out so the storyline is all I have to work on. When I finish it I'll post it with one of my updates._**

_**Review this please.**_


	18. Girl Stuff

**_I don't own JSRF…I DO own this fic so don't plagiarize…My internet was down over the weekend so I had no idea when I would get this up.

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**Girl Stuff **

**(A flashback )**

**Part 1 of 2 **

**(Cube, Gum, Rhyth, Azumi (Love Shocker), Jazz, Saya (Rapid 99) and Boogie)

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**

"**_Watch your six, he got a lot of more trick,s  
lyrics, bricks, on sticks sure got raw-nytics;  
It's a gift, don't get shot for kicks,  
with the same slick used to plot sick vicks with…  
_**

**_Spotted at a chick flick…holdin hands,  
the other one on his swollen glands, a golden chance;  
That's why he kept them holes in his pants,  
rollin in a old van, is what he told his stolen fans.  
_**

**_Is that you true? Matched from hat to shoe;  
Snafu, snatch any brew, LaBatt's Blue.  
Black jew like that's new, patch me through,  
no latch attached, skat shoo, catch twenty-two."_**

**-"Crosshairs" by Dangerdoom**

**_(I downloaded this song on 4/4/07 and it's one of the best I've ever heard.)

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_**

**AssassinKyeste: _I didn't put the date in every chapter, but at the start of the last series it says July 20, Azumi and Saya didn't join until Halloween…I haven't arranged my work chronologically so I don't blame you for getting confused. You did make me realise that I haven't really used them lately…so guess who's bizack?_**

_**Also the mall thing isn't too far of from another idea I'm working on.**_

**Volian: _Your writing has a nice flow to it. It was pretty good, funny too. As far a Gum and Rhyth…maybe, I don't really know until I write it. If the whole sharing a bed thing means anything it's that they are very affectionate towards_ _one another…or it could mean they're gay or possibly bi…again, I really don't know until I write it._**

_**Oh yeah…the reason I said, in the review of your story, that a Jazz/Cube combination was intriguing was because last year, when I started this fic, I planned to do a Jazz/Cube fic…unfortunately my internet was shut off and, nearly a year later, I had completely forgot. It was messed up because I really wanted to do that.

* * *

**_

**Movie Theatre on Chuo Street- Nov. 17, 10:52pm**

"This movie sucks…" Cube whispered in Azumis' ear, making her giggle a little. The movie didn't really suck, it just wasn't scaring them. Saya and Jazz were clinging to each others arms and Boogie was slowly shoveling popcorn into her mouth, resisting the urge to yell "run bitch!" at the screen.

Cube and Azumi did feel the occasional spine-tingle but they were few and far apart, they spent most of the movie whispering to each other. The only thing that kept them from simply talking loudly was knowing that they would ruin the movie for their friends if they did. Azumi nudged Cube and pointed to the seat directly to the girls right.

When Cube looked she almost burst into laughter.

Gum had lifted the arm rest between hers and Rhyths' seats; they were now stretched out across both seats together with Rhyth about halfway underneath Gum. Cube looked back to Azumi which prompted the new girl to lift her fingers in a peace sign and wag her tongue between them (a gesture that basically means that you eat pussy), this time succeeding at making Cube laugh.

She looked back at the girls then leaned in close to Azumi and whispered, "Do you really think...?"

Azumi nodded, "It seems like it…is there any proof?"

"This one time we were all over at my old house and they were sharing a bed…" she looked over to make sure they weren't listening then motioned to the girl to come closer, "I swear to God, when I went to wake them up, they were both sleeping totally naked…"

"What?" Azumi cackled, earning several shushes. She raised a middle finger for whoever shushed her. "Did…did they do anything?"

"I didn't ask…I just know that they were both sweaty…and I think there was milk on the sheets...needless to say I threw those sheets away."

Gum was entranced by the horrifying drama unfolding, so entranced that she almost didn't notice that Rhyth was squeezing her hips a lot harder than she had been a few moments ago. "Rhythie, could you ease up a little…your really starting to hurt me."

Rhyths' response was a muffled "I can't breath."

"Oh my god…" Gum lifted herself and freed Rhyth, "Are you alright?" She rolled herself and her friend so that the smaller girl was now on top of her.

Rhyth gasped for air for a few seconds before she attempted to speak, "…Your…your tits were…they were cutting off my air…I…I almost passed out…"

"I'm so sorry…"

"It's okay, no harm done…you smell nice by the way."

"Oh, thanks," Gum giggled a bit, then she stretched her body as best as she could and, wrapping her arms around her friend (who now had her eyes closed as she was trying to sleep) and returned attention to the screen…she did her best to ignore the fact that Rhyths' head was resting directly on her left breast.

* * *

**Cubes' House, 99th Street- July 21, 12:05am**

**(Flashback to the last chapter of the last series)**

Gum was just getting out of the shower (she had forced Clutch to wait in the kitchen until she was done…the kitchen as opposed to the hallway because she didn't trust him not to peek in) and was now sliding on the oversized t-shirt that Cube had lent her. She was not exactly sure why Rhyth had asked to share a bed with her. The girl didn't have any kind of disputes with Jazz or anything like that, as far as she knew, so it didn't make much sense for her to make a big deal out of it. _Well…whatever. At least I get a bed. So what if she wants to share it with me, she's smaller than Cube so that means more bed for me._ She left the bathroom and headed for the bedroom, Rhyth was already there; she was in the bed…she was also naked, Gum knew because the t-shirt that Cube had leant her was balled up on the floor.

Rhyth was already asleep, _hadn't she slept enough?_ She was curled up into a little ball, _the whole "naked" thing is weird…but she does look kinda cute curled up like that…like a little kitty!_ Gum narrowed her eyes a bit. _Well…speaking of kitties…_Gum started to blush, from where she was standing she had a clear view of Rhyths'…well, I guess I don't really need to say it, do I? _When was the last time she shaved that thing!?_ It wasn't as hairy as Gums' thought made it seem but there was a bit of hair on it. _I always figured her as the type to shave it clean…guess I was wrong…_

Gum approached the bed and knelt down next to it. She rested her elbow and her head on the edge of the mattress. _She sleeps like an angel. _From where she was, which was very, very close to Rhyth, she could smell several different aromas coming from the girl. The first, and most powerful, was the smell of her shampoo, or at least she assumed it was her shampoo as it smelled of licorice and the soap they had used in the bathroom smelled a lot like cherries…that was of course the second scent emanating from the girl. The third was the smell of citrus, many different types of citrus: oranges, lemons and tangerines; that had to be either something Rhyth had eaten or her toothpaste because it was coming from her mouth. She moved a bit closer so she could smell it better…_Yeah, that's_ _definitely her breath, she smells nice…Corn usually smells like motor oil and Yoyo smells like fried chicken…and I usually smell fear and shame on Beat. God I hang out with guys too much!_ She sniffed her hand, _Great…my hand still smells like Beat…_

"Uhn…" Rhyth moaned a little in her sleep, breaking Gums' train of thought. She opened her eyes and jumped at the sight of the girl staring at her only inches away from her face, "Ah! What are you doing?" Gum pointed at her, she looked down and realised that she was completely naked in front of her, "Ah!" she did her best to cover herself with her hands then, after deciding that that wouldn't work, grabbed at the first sheet she saw and used it to cover herself…it only went up to the point of being just below her breasts, b-cups, she then decided to simply jump off to the other side of the bed and crouch next to it. As she attempted to do this, Gum grabbed her left leg and pulled her back…she also succeeded in indirectly spreading her legs and momentarily getting another view of her pink spot. She pulled her body was hanging halfway off of the bed, then she got up and laid herself down on top of Rhyth, resting her crossed arms on her breasts and her head her head on top of her arms, "That was fun…so do you wanna tell me why you aren't wearing anything? Your pretty nice to look at, but it does seem a bit odd to sleep naked in someone elses bed, don'tcha think?" she was smiling as she spoke. Rhyth was still trembling from the scare she had received.

Gum cocked head to the side, "Are you okay?"

Rhyth nodded, "Give me a minute…"

Gum let her calm down a little before she asked the question again, "Why are you naked?"

Rhyth looked as though she were searching for an answer…she gave up on that. She sighed and said, "I'm…I'm more comfortable this way…"

"Why?" Gum had an eyebrow raised.

Rhyth shrugged as best as she could with a girl heavier than herself lying on her, "I don't know…I just do…it's not weird is it?"

Gum nodded, "Oh most definitely…but if that makes you comfortable, I guess there's nothing wrong with it." She turned Rhyths' body so that she was lying all the way on the bed then crawled over her to lay on the other side. She felt Rhyth move, "What are you doing?"

Rhyth turned to look at her, "I'm getting the shirt, I feel weird being naked in bed with you…especially since you're wearing clothes…"

Gum sat up. She grabbed the lower portion of her shirt and peeled it over her head and off of her body. Next she slid off her panties. She grabbed both articles of clothing and tossed them onto the floor.

Rhyths' eyes widened, _Oh my god!_ She let her eyes travel down and then back up Gums' body, _Oh wow…she's so…beautiful…_

"Rhyth?" Gum could tell Rhyth was stuck in a trance, she shook her out of it, "Rhythie…snap out of it!"

Rhyth shook her head a little, "Huhn?" She suddenly went pink when she realised that Gum knew she was ogling her, even though it was unintentional. Gum was smiling a bit when Rhyth regained her train of thought, "Are you okay?"

"Huh…oh…yeah, I…why are you naked?"

Gum shrugged, "You said you felt weird being naked in bed with me, especially since I'm wearing clothes and you aren't …so I took my clothes off to make you more comfortable…"

"But…"

"Don't worry about it… really…" Gum turned out the light. Rhyth started to fall asleep…she would have fallen asleep. But she didn't fall asleep, because Gum wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close to her, pressing her against her chest and locking her there.

Gum loosened her grip a little so as not to hurt her friend. She then, very gently, kissed her on her forehead. She heard Rhyth gasp, "What are you doing?" she asked nervously.

Gum rolled onto her back and, because she was holding Rhyth, the girl was now lying on her chest. "Nothing…I kinda had it in my mind to do that back when we were in the kitchen…you had your eyes closed and I had to resist the urge to just kiss you."

Rhyth was still nervous, "But…I thought we were just friends."

"We are…but I wanted to try this at least once while I had the chance…I swear when I saw you sleepin' naked I just decided to go for it…I must say, you're pretty hot for bein' such a waif," she slid her right hand off of Rhyths' back and around to her chest; she pressed her hand against her breast then slid her fingers onto her nipple and pinched it. She kissed the girl again as she did so, this time she slipped her some tongue.

The kiss had a relaxing affect on Rhyth, who until that moment was very tense. She had originally been using her hands to try and separate herself from Gum, but now she was sliding them onto Gums' breasts.

Gum giggled, she disengaged the kiss. It was dark but Rhyth could still see that she was smiling. She placed her hands on the girls' shoulders and pulled her down until her head was resting on her breasts, "Rhythie…do you wanna try something new?"

"Well…I've never had sex before, so this is new…"

"For you it is…"

Gum started to give her directions. First she told her to squeeze her breasts, then to kiss them. The kissing led to licking and nibbling which led to sucking. Eventually Gum did the same to Rhyth…she took more time than Rhyth did though.

After a few moments of lying idle, she kissed Rhyth again, this time she locked her into an embrace and as she kissed her she slid one of her hands down her body to her-

"What are you doing?" Rhyth was a bit startled when she noticed where Gums' hand was.

Gum quickly kissed her again, "Don't worry…just relax…trust me, you'll like this part…"

She locked her back into the kiss…and Rhyth slipped off into bliss…

* * *

**Movie Theatre on Chuo Street- Nov. 18, Midnight**

"Hey, wake up!" Cube shook Gum awake.

"Huh?" Gum slowly opened her eyes.

"I said wake up, the movie's over…and Rhyth's droolin' on you"

Gum looked down…sure enough Rhyth was dripping some drool between her tits. She gently shook her awake, "Rhythie wake up…"

"Mmm…Huh?" Rhyth looked up to see Gum smiling at her, "I was having the most wonderful dream…and you were there."

Gum looked confused, then she figured out what Rhyth had been dreaming about, "Uh…maybe we should talk about that later. C'mon let's go, we've still got stuff to do…"

They left the theatre and started to skate…to Hikage street.

* * *

**_-I told you I don't know until I write it! I couldn't decide whether to go with the sex or stay with it being just an awkward situation…clearly I went with sex. It wasn't easy, you can't just turn the sex on…but it was more difficult to end than to start._**

_**As much as I liked writing the last series, I've got to admit it was hard to get it back on track and bring it to a semi-reasonable conclusion once I left the original premise to focus on the other characters. It was fun to write, but I had to spend a lot of time planning out the conclusion (which is something I don't like to do). This kind of took me out of my element because I like to just go with the flow. Also, I like that I'm getting…I guess I can say rave reviews, but it gets hard to consistently write good stories when I get little to no actual criticism. Seriously, the worst criticism I got was that the original version of "Great Day" moved to quickly and had no bulk in the middle…I revised it the next day. You see how quickly I work. I am hereby opening the flood-gates and asking you to be brutal…but don't bother talking about the first two shorts, I'm thinking about removing them anyway.**_


	19. Girl Stuff part 2

**_I don't own JSRF…I DO own this fic so don't plagiarize…I write fics for me, fuck what you like (not really).

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_**

**Girl Stuff part 2of 2: And Now…We Burgle**

**(A flashback and an adventure)**

**(Cube, Gum, Azumi (Love Shocker) and Jazz)

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**

"**_Super, he's loaded dice nice,  
and overpriced, a arm and a leg; homey life or your ice;  
villain, nag a grieving old hag,  
snag a bragger by his mic cord and leave him holding the bag.  
_**

**_Come clean, a bunch of dumb mean cream puffs;  
a keen drum machine buff, who fiends for more green stuff.  
Instead of starvin there be problems by the goo gobs  
aight …somebody's robbin' Lou Dobbs and them tonight.  
_**

**_And he's on the next flight, moon bound,  
and makes it a point to stay away from the goon pound.  
Got some peers, that's gone in the lost years,  
tears and cheers, born in the crosshairs."_**

**_-_"Crosshairs" by Dangerdoom

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**

**Volian: _You have no idea how much those small grammatical errors piss me of when I read them…It seems like no matter how careful I am I still let a few slip by. _**

_**I'm not sure how I keep making Rhyth cuter and cuter, it really happens entirely by accident. I didn't even realise how cute I'd made her until you mentioned it which prompted me to read it again. My subconscious mind seems to be smarter than my conscious mind…if that makes any sense. **_

_**Your review wasn't as rambly as you thought it was, at least you can think of something to say. It took me ten minutes to even begin typing that short ass review I gave you…speaking of which, when are you going to update? I'd really like to read what happens next.

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**_

**Hikage Front Street- Nov. 18, 12:37am**

It was dark as Hell outside. It was cold as quite the opposite of Hell too (of course I have no idea what could be the opposite of Hell as far as temperature was concerned as I imagine heaven to be of mild temperature or possibly tropical.). Rhyth had told them that she was too sleepy to go with them to Hikage Street. Gum didn't want her to go back to the apartment alone, it was pretty dangerous at this time of night, so she volunteered Boogie and Saya to escort her back. They didn't really want to go back but they didn't mind because it gave them an opportunity to talk, they would probably just leave later anyway so it wasn't a big deal.

When they reached Hikage Street Azumi led them to the Love Shockers' hideout in the eastern section of the maze that was the Hikage Housing Facility. Even though Azumi had assured them that the place where they stayed would be empty and that if anyone was there they'd be asleep, they were unsure of whether or not she was right. They stopped in front of the hideout.

Cube and Azumi had been very vague about what they were doing there.

Jazz had her arms folded and, upon close examination, one could see that she was shivering, she had no idea why they were out when it was so cold "Qué estamos haciendo aquí?" she asked, forgetting that she occasionally drifted in and out of Spanish. Azumi, Cube and Gum looked at her uncomprehendingly; they had no idea what she had just said. She sighed, "What are we doing here?" They mouthed an "Oh."

"Well, we promised Azumi that we would go to the Love Shockers' hideout and help her get her stuff back…like, two days ago we promised her that…don't you remember?" Cube answered her.

Jazz thought for a moment…_Two days ago?_ _I don't remember shit from two days ago_. She didn't remember because two days ago she, Gum and Corn had stumbled upon a sauna on the roof of the apartment building. The were in there all day smoking weed from a giant bong that Gum kept next to her bed…they had also started to grow their own…which they would undoubtedly smoke themselves…

"No I don't remember that…"she answered.

Gum smirked, "Maybe you'd remember if you didn't smoke everyday."

Jazz was amused by Gums' words, "You're one to talk…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gum wasn't sure of whether she should be offended.

"Nothin'…I'm just sayin', I'm not the one that keeps flowers in a bong…"

"Maybe not, but you do smoke with paper towels when you run out of rolling papers."

"You keep a pipe under your pillow-"

"You made a pipe out of a pen and an apple-"

"You sprinkle weed on your cereal-"

"You baked a chocolate weed cake-"

"You drink bong water-"

"Would you pot heads be quiet!?" Cube yelled over their argument. "If you don't shut the hell up, you'll get us caught...this is a delicate operation."

"How delicate?" Gum asked.

Azumi explained exactly what they were doing and why. They were going to creep in, make their way to what was once Azumis' room and pick up some of the clothes and personal items that she had been unable to get on her own on account of (the Love Shocker leader) Charges' violent temper. If she caught Azumi there she would cut her stomach out (and open) and make her drink the acid.

Azumi and Cube would enter and pick up as much of her things as they could and attempt to sneak out without being caught. Jazz and Gum would keep watch at each ends of the alley and call them on their phones if they saw the Love Shockers. "What do we do if they show up?" Gum asked.

"You call us, tell us where they're coming from and run in the opposite direction," Azumi responded. They set their phones to vibrate, entered the hideout and closed the door.

* * *

**Love Shocker Hideout- 12:52am**

"So where do we go from here?" Cube whispered to Azumi.

"Follow me…" Cube followed closely behind her. It was dark…and quiet, creepy quiet. When they got deep enough into the hideout, a small, abandoned strip club that had a stairway leading to several small rooms in the basement. The power was out in the strip club which suggested to them that nobody was there (if anyone was there they would have seen several neon lights and heard some music playing over some speakers) so it appeared they were safe, for now.

They proceeded to the door and, very quietly, went down the stairs. "Hey Azumi," Cube began, "What are you really lookin' for down here?"

"I already told you…" Azumi responded "what, you don't believe me?"

"I believe you when you say you want to get some of your clothes and shit, but that can't be all you're lookin' for…what's up?"

Azumi snickered a bit, _I guess she doesn't trust me_. "You're right, that's not all I'm lookin' for…I hid some money here."

"Yeah?" Cube raised an eyebrow, though Azumi couldn't see it because it was dark and anyway she was leading Cube down the stairs, "How much did you hide?"

Azumi paused in her speech, "…Around a million yen (roughly ten-thousand dollars…I think…)."

"A million yen!" Cube exclaimed.

"Shh!"

"Oh sorry…" she apologized then whispered "a million yen?"

"Yeah, I've been savin' since I was eight…I don't remember why exactly, but I've been savin' ever since and I don't want them to find it."

They started down a hallway, Azumi led her to the room she used to sleep in.

"So why didn't you say that before?" Cube asked her.

"…I didn't think any of you would help?"

Cube smacked her in the back of the head.

"Ow…what the hell?"

"That was for bein' stupid."

* * *

**Outside of Love Shocker Hideout- 1:02am**

_This fuckin' sucks_…_How long are they gonna take?_ Gum had been waiting at the corner at one end of the alley since Azumi and Cube had entered the hideout and she was bored as fuck. She hadn't seen or heard anyone or anything…at all. The place was empty. It was as though everything in this place died at night and was miraculously resurrected at dawn. She turned and waved at Jazz, who was at the corner at the other end of the alley. Jazz waved back and shook her head, she didn't see anything either. Gum stood there for several minutes before leaning against the wall; she tried to relax. She was shivering and could feel goose bumps rising on her skin, _It's so damn cold…_ It was cold (of course if you had half a memory you'd remember that I said that at the start of this chapter…seriously dude, cut back on the weed, it's not good for you.) and dark and hella dangerous. On top of all that, they were going to have to go through Dogenzaka Hill to get home, _There's goin' to be Doom Riders everywhere, those guys are all fuckin' pervs…it sucks havin' to deal with those assholes._ _Maybe we'll luck out and they won't_-

She could swear she heard skates coming her way. She peeked around the corner. It was still dark as the seventh layer of hell but she could see them, about six Love shockers were coming her way.

**Inside-1:10am**

Azumi had to use the guitar that she had left in the room to break down the wall and get it out, but she had it. She held in her hands a shoe box full of stacks of thousand yen bills. She closed the box and duct-taped it shut. She strapped the guitar to her back and stuffed the shoe box into a backpack that she had filled with clothes. She picked up the small amp that she kept with it and started to leave when Cube stopped her, her phone was ringing. Cube answered it, "Yeah…what…well get the fuck outta there! No, don't worry about us, just get the fuck outta there. We'll find our own way out…yeah, good luck."

Cube hung up and Azumi asked the most obvious question ever, "They're comin'?"

"Yeah…do you know another way out of here? If you don't we're as good as fucked."

Azumi shrugged, "Then we're fucked."

"Is anyone stayin' in this room?"

"Doubt it, my stuff wouldn't still be here if someone was."

"So can we hide here until they go to sleep and sneak out?"

"They sleep in shifts."

"Damn…"

They were truly screwed. There was only one way in and out of the basement they were in so they couldn't just leave. Suddenly Azumi snapped her fingers, "I have an idea, call Gum."

**Outside-1:15am**

Gum and Jazz had run to the other side of the alley and hid around the corner. They watched as the six Shockers entered the club. Gum felt her phone vibrate and answered it.

"Hello?"

"**Gum?"**

"Cube? What's goin' on? Are you alright?"

"**We're fine…listen, we need you to do somethin' for us."**

"What do you need?"

"**A diversion."**

"…Consider it done," She hung up. Gum took a good look around and found a brick a few feet away from her. She quickly snatched it up and hurled it at the Love Shockers, hitting one in the head…she got their attention…I mean really got it, they all rushed her. Gum grabbed Jazz by her scarf and ran.

**Inside-1:18am**

"Did they do it?" Azumi asked, she was worried.

"I guess there's only one way to find out," Cube picked up a duffle bag that she had stuffed with random articles of Azumis' clothing and hung it on her shoulder. She picked up a small amp "Get your shit and let's go."

Azumi strapped the backpack full of clothing and hygiene products to her back over the guitar that she already had strapped to her "Nothin' ventured nothin' gained I suppose."

"Don't say that…that's the same crap Corn would say."

"I know right?" she left the room and started towards the stairs "It's was just thinkin' that after I said it…it's weird."

**Hikage Street -1:22am**

Gum and Jazz, had for the past few minutes, managed to elude the Love Shockers though they were still being closely pursued. At the moment they were pressed against a wall. Jazz had attempted to keep running but Gum forced her to stay with her. She could hear them rounding the corner…so she grabbed Jazz, again by her scarf, only this time she slung her across to the other side of the alley, which of course the Love Shockers saw. They went after Jazz. As they rounded the corner, Gum grabbed the last one in line by the collar and swung her around, slamming her face-first into the wall, knocking her out. It was on.

**Love Shocker Hideout -1:27am**

Apparently Gum had not diverted the attention of all of the Love Shockers, one was knocked out at the door and the other had just hit the floor a few seconds ago after Azumi and Cube beat her ass, which is all the more impressive when you consider that they were so weighted down by Azumis' possessions. "I guess it worked, but what now?"

"Gum can handle herself…we wouldn't be much help with all of your crap on us anyway."

"Well what about Jazz?"

Cube hadn't thought about that, "…I guess I don't really know what'll happen with her, I've never seen her fight before."

"So they could be just assed out right now?"

"…Yup…"

Azumi started to freak out, "Why aren't you more worried about this? We have to help them!"

Cube responded stoically, "I'm not worried because I know that they can both handle themselves…whether I've seen Jazz fight or not, I trust her to get out of this situation unharmed, and I know Gum'll get outta this without a scratch…we just need to worry about ourselves right now, so c'mon." With that they left the hideout and went directly to the main street leading to Shibuya Terminal.

**Hikage Street-1:35am**

Two down and two to go, well technically four down. Gum was actually holding one of the two Love Shockers, that wasn't currently unconscious at her feet, by the jaw…by that I mean that she had two fingers in the girls' mouth and her thumb in the soft spot beneath the jaw…in other words it was a mandible claw. She cocked back her right hand and let her have it. As she slammed her fist into the girls' nose she released her hold on her jaw; not only was the girls' nose broken but she was sent flying a good five feet away. Gum now held between her index finger and her thumb one of the girls' teeth…she pocketed it and looked up to see Jazz punching the other conscious Love Shocker in the stomach, making her double over. She slid her hand to the back of the girls' head and held her by her hair as she slammed her face into her knee. She tightened her grip on her hair, pulled her back to an upright position and, after releasing the girls' hair, used the same hand to throw a cross at her jaw. She wiped the sweat off of her forehead and turned to Gum, "Do you think they're alright?"

Gum laughed, "Do you mean Azumi and Cube or these bitches?"

"Let's say I meant both in that order."

"They're fine and no, they're not alright…not by a damn sight."

"Maybe we should get outta here huh?"

"Definitely."

They eventually found their way out of Hikage Street and went home.

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**Dogenzaka Hill-2:23am**

"Took you long enough to get here," Cube said jokingly to Gum and Jazz as they approached them.

"Yeah," Jazz laughed as she slapped hand with Cube "no thanks to you two."

They had gotten all the way to Dogenzaka Hill before Cube stooped her. As they usually did when they were waiting for someone, they were eating snacks and drinking beer from vending machines. They had been waiting for nearly an hour before their companions appeared. It was a relief to Azumi, she was feeling guilty about leaving them behind, but now she was good. "For the record, I wanted to go find you."

Gum waved her off, "It's alright…you shoulda seen what we did to the bitches."

Cube raised an eyebrow, "We?"

"Hell yeah…you should see Jazz in a fight…I think I almost shit myself watchin' her, it was just that horrifyin' to watch."

Jazz blushed a bit as she smiled, she wasn't really used to receiving praise, "Well let's get outta here…I don't wanna deal with any Doom Ridas'-"

"Too late…" Azumi pointed over to five Doom Riders that were coming their way.

Gum sighed, "Dammit…I'm too tired to fight right now!"

Cube kept her eyes on the Bikers as she responded, "Tell everybody why don't you."

As the Doom Riders got closer, Gum reached into her pocket and pulled something out. She tossed it to one of the Doom Riders, "The hell is this?" he asked, confused.

"It's a tooth…less than an hour ago I ripped it out of a Love Shockers' mouth and I suggest you back away now while you still have all of yours."

"Hey…I think you need to watch what you say," He placed a hand on her shoulder, she immediately grabbed the hand and used it to Judo throw him over her shoulder. He landed on his back…and on one of the rails that ran along the sidewalk. The very moment he landed Cube slammed her skate wheels into his face, flipping him under the rail into pool of his own blood. The other four just backed off and ran.

Gum watched as they ran, "Well that was easy."

Jazz nodded "…Let's go the fuck home."

* * *

**Apartment Building on Dogenzaka Hill-2:50am**

They got home tired as hell. By this time they were each carrying an item: Azumi had her backpack (for reasons that she had yet to discuss with the others), Cube carried the duffle bag, Gum carried the guitar (which, by the way, was a Fender American Stratocaster HH solid body electric done in a pearlescent black that turned red when the light hit it right) and Jazz carried the amp. They entered and the first thing they saw was Garam crashed out a random couch that just happened to be there when they found the place…it seemed like he never slept in his room for some reason. Cube kicked the couch, waking him up. He was actually already awake, but his shades were still on his head so they couldn't tell. He sat up and stretched a bit ten spoke as he scratched his lower back "Mornin' ladies…wha y'all doin' out s'late?" (What y'all doin' out so late…it isn't easy to type ebonics).

Cube waved his question off, "Don't worry about it. Here…" she tossed him the duffle bag and started to stretch herself out.

He seemed confused "The fuck's all this?"

"Azumis' clothes…help her take them to her room," She tried to walk off.

He seemed offended "Do I look like a servant t'you?"

Cube stopped and sigh. She turned around "See, that's what you call a loaded question…no matter how I answer it's lose-lose," she started walking towards him "There's the first option, which is to say no. If I say no you'll just lay down and go back to sleep…but if I say yes, you might just pull the race card and that'll lead to an argument, which I at the moment have no energy to sustain," she was face to face with him now, "Instead of sayin' yes or no, I'm just gonna say that if you don't help her, like I'm askin' you to do now, I'm gonna rip your spine out and bend you all the way backwards until I can actually shove your head up your ass!"

She couldn't see it but Garams' eyes were opened wide. He quickly turned to face Azumi, "After you." She took the Guitar and amp from Gum and Jazz and led him to her room.

Gum yawned and stretched, "…I think I'm gonna hit the sack." She left for her room.

"I'm kinda hungry…I think I'll get somethin' t'eat…Buenas noches todos," she waved as she headed for the kitchen.

Cube shrugged and went to bed.

**Kitchen**

"Que paso ese? What're you doin' up so late?" Jazz was startled to see Corn sitting at the small coffee table they kept in the so called kitchen…drinking coffee.

"Oh you know me…I love caffeine. Coffee?"

"No thanks…you drink too much of that and it'll give ya the shits."

"Doesn't bother me…" he took a sip.

"Whatever…back to my question…"

"Do you know anything about a fight on Hikage Street?" he took another sip.

Jazz was dumbfounded, "…How do you do that?"

Corn gave her a shrug and a smile, "I have my ways." He sipped his coffee again.

"…I love you," She sat down and recounted the events that had transpired earlier.

**Azumis' Room**

Garam lay gasping for air in the bed. He was covered in sweat. He turned his head to face his right and could see Azumi standing outside the bed stretching. She was completely naked and no longer wore her eyepatch, revealing that she had two very pretty eyes. She stopped and spoke to him, "You ready for round two?"

"Yes! Oh God yes!"

She placed her hands on her hips, "Yes what?"

"Yes…please?"

"No…you know better than that."

He sighed, "Yes Mistress Azumi, please teach me more of your sexual arts."

She smiled, "That's better." She crawled into the bed "I've been thinkin' about this all day...brace yourself, this is gonna hurt…you…a lot." Her laugh was maniacal…and yet strangely arousing.

That's when the screaming began…and it didn't stop for a long…long time.

**Combos' room**

Cube crawled into Combos' bed and snuggled up next to him, waking him up, "Where were you?" he asked her.

"Oh, you know…here and there."

Her response made him chuckle, "Will you tell me what you were doin' tomorrow?"

She thought about it, "Maybe…I'm leanin' towards no though."

"Will you ever tell me?"

"I don't know…do you love me?"

"Yeah, you know that."

"Then I'll lean toward yes…" she gently kissed him on his lips, "goodnight."

He embraced her "Goodnight.," and they went to sleep.

**Gums' Bedroom**

Gum stretched out on her bed. Usually she didn't like to sleep alone, she preferred to share a bed with Rhyth or Boogie or both if possible. This time however she desperately needed the extra space…and it was a pretty small bed so the more the better. Before she dozed off a single thought crossed her mind: _When did I start sleepin' naked?

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_

**-It's 5:52am and I'm going to bed as soon as Voltron goes off…goodnight all. **

**That's what I had written there originally and dammit I'm keepin' it. It looks like what ever errors the site was facing have been fixed...and it only took a week and a half. **

**I've been getting the constructive criticism that I had recently asked for...so far I'm seeing that I may possibly move too quickly at times and that there are the occasional gramatical errors and that I need to be clearer on where the stories fall on the game timeline (they're set after the game by the way). I'm also seeing that those of you who've reviewed like the way I characterize Corn, I'm glad you all like it...I'm just trying to figure out how I did it.**

I might be just a tad irritable right now because earlier I was playing Halo 2 with my friend and he was serving up piping-hot ass-whippings.

**Review this please.**


	20. Downpour

_**I don't own JSRF…I **__**DO**__** own this fic so don't plagiarize…time for an update, I've had a long enough break…898 hits and 24 reviews, I know the hit counter doesn't accurately represent how many people are reading this but still, DAMN, I was only just comin' up on 800 two weeks ago and I'm already kickin 900s' door down! This must be getting' quite an underground following.

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**Downpour (one-shot, but plays a part later on.)**

_**(Yoyo)

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"_**I had this style ever since I was a child  
I got this other style I ain't flip in a while,**_

_**it goes:**_

_**Pure scientific intelligence, with one point of relevance  
MC's whose styles need Vellamints  
And once the smoke clears, tell 'em it's  
The Super Metal Faced Villain, he came through raw like the elements**_

_**On 99 plus one of them  
And with a flow to pull a fraud nigga file from out in front of him  
When we with y'all, we had tons of fun  
Me and my duns and them  
Actual true and living sons of them**_

_**Dead planets and God-U's  
Throwing divine rules to come through, we will over charge you's  
Fool, and won't feel remorse for shit  
Except for one time, once I had took my fronts out and lost them shits"**_

**-"Dead Bent" by MF DOOM

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**Skip This if You Don't See Your Name/Initials.**

**A.K**_**: Fences? Tractors? Where the fuck do you live that you can steal tractors? Also, I don't want to say what you started your review with but seriously, way too much information…I did not need to know that…you should be ashamed (nah, not really). **_

_**I took me a really long time to feel this story out so I hope it doesn't fall below standard. I wanted to do a Yoyo centric story and get a Poison Jam involved as a set-up for joining the GG's later on.**_

_**Also I'm thinking about the next pseudo love story I'm gonna write and I have an inspired idea. It'll be a Corn/Gum story set around Swing Blades. I'm basing it on a song I like. If you want me to send you the song file let me know… you'll like it, you'll definitely see what inspired me and you may have an idea of where the story goes based on the song. That and another Corn and Gum centric story called "Friends Forever" that'll be set in Detroit (childhood story) and in Tokyo before the game. And finally the next Combo/Cube story (by now you know they're my favorite characters). It'll be set in August I think… that's a little while after I said Gouji leaves and long before they become a couple, though a part of the story will take place during "Great Day." **_

**Shickystyle**_**: Don't be alarmed, I answer reviews all the time (except for Teioftheradios' because it was just a placeholder but I sent him a message). **__**Sometimes I do feel like I rushed myself when I re-read my stories, sometimes I don't…in "Great Day" I didn't feel like I really rushed the confession, in fact I revised it and slowed it down. I'm pretty sure I rushed the Gum/Rhyth sex scene. I did that because I thought it would be creepy if I stayed on it for longer than I did. **_

_**But I'm glad you like my story and, truthfully, Corn wasn't a favorite character of mine until I wrote this…it's weird huh? **_

_**You should review at least a couple of times more. There aren't many people reviewing this so I would like to have dialogues with the few (recently 4 counting you) that do. **_

**Sorry That Was So Long, I Had A Lot To Say.

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**Kibagaoka Hill- November 21, 2:07pm**

He liked watching the rain. Everyone else instantly thought he was weird when he would say that, but they always thought he was weird so it was no big deal to him…anyway it was true, he did like watching the rain. That was why he was here now, sitting on the roof of a building on Kibagaoka Hill watching as the rain pounded the reservoir. It was pretty clear out despite the heavy rain so he could see clear to the other side: Rokakku-Dai Heights. He could see the people there darting from building to building with umbrellas on any other object that would protect them from the rain: open newspapers, backpacks, sliced cardboard anything. _Fools…don't they know the joy of rain?_ Rain was cleansing. Rain was life giving. Rainy days were to be celebrated: They gave children puddles to splash in, they gave adults a reason to curl up together in front of a fire. The very sound of rain beating the ground was a sleep aid. Hell, it was even a shower and free drinking water for the homeless. Rain was a beautiful thing…and those people were running from it. _They're all a bunch of fools._ Yoyo loved the rain. When it rained he would sit out for hours and watch it come down just as he was doing now. He let the rain wash over him. He remembered what Professor K. had said over the air…well not really, but he did get the gist of it. He said that it would be raining on and off for the next two weeks. To the other GG's this news sucked, but Yoyos' heart leapt when he heard the news. After all some of the best moments of his life had occurred when it was raining, to him this was just a chance to have two weeks worth of great days.

His phone rang, "Yo." It was his favorite word and was quite versatile.

It was Corn. He wanted to know where Yoyo was.

"I'm in a cage in what appears to be someone's basement…they say that if you don't send seven million yen by the end of the week they'll mail you my legs."

Corn yelled at him.

"It was a joke dude, relax yo. I'm on Kibagaoka Hill."

Corn said that he wouldn't relax.

"Okay, okay…what do you want anyway?"

Corn wanted him to come back to the building; it was raining too hard for him to be outside.

"I'm fine where I am, yo."

Corn didn't care if he was fine.

"Oh come on…"

Corn told him to get home, now.

"Alright! Geez, you're worse than my fuckin' mom."

Corn asked him what mom.

That stung. "Ha ha ha…not funny."

Corn said come home.

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

He started on his way home. At first he was going straight to the entrance at the very, very top of the hill but he stopped in his tracks. _Fuck it…I'll take the scenic route. _He turned back around and dashed towards the nearest telephone wire…dumbest thing we had ever done in his life. He forgot the wires were electric…and his skates were magnetic. The second he touched the wire an unknown number of volts of electricity shot through his body sending him flying into the reservoir. He fell hundreds of feet before he finally hit water. The impact threw him for a loop but he was back in his right mind in a few seconds. A strong current started to suck him into a large pipe. _Oh shit…_if he didn't find a way out of this he was dead. There was a platform near the tunnel that was just low enough for him to grab it and possibly pull himself out. _If I could just get a little closer…_ Yoyo swam with all the might his little body could muster and it was still just barely enough to reach the platform. He slid his fingers into the platforms grated walkway and got a good grip. "Help!" He wasn't sure if anyone actually heard him, "For the love of God, somebody please help me!" There wasn't any immediate response…there wasn't any response. He started blacking out…the world cleared up and he started to sink…he blacked out…his head was out of the water…he blacked out…he was on his back on the platform…he blacked out…someone was dragging him by his collar…he blacked out and stayed out.

* * *

**Kibagaoka Hill- November 21??**

Yoyo woke up. He could only assume he had been out for a few hours. He wasn't sure where he was…or why there was a cat on his head. _Wait…a cat?_ He sat up. He was indoors. How did he get indoors? He wasn't sure…the last thing he remembered was…why wasn't he wearing a shirt…

He heard a yawn. "Oh, you're awake?"

_Huh? _Yoyo turned toward the source of the voice that was speaking to him…_What the fuck!!_ Sitting on an old, raggedy mattress a few feet away from him was…a Poison Jam. Yoyo rose quickly and started to raise his fists, he wasn't sure if he stood a remote chance against this guy but it seemed like he would have to try.

"Whoa! Cool out little guy…" the P.J. raised his hand and motioned for him to sit back down. "Relax, you shouldn't be trying to fight anyone right now…after all, you nearly drowned."

"Yeah… so what?"

"So, I pulled you out…don't you remember? You were calling for help-"

"And **you** helped me?"

"I believe you said 'for the love of God, somebody please help me.' It's not like you specified…how the hell did you get into the reservoir anyway?"

Yoyo dropped his fists. "I was shocked on a wire and sent flying into the water."

"Oh…you must be Yoyo then."

Yoyo nodded. It suddenly dawned on him and he stared nervously, yet somehow intensely, at the man across from him, "Yo, how did you know that?"

"Huh? Oh…don't worry about it. What were you doing out in the rain?"

Yoyo didn't feel like explaining his love of rain; he didn't think he'd understand anyway. "Don't worry about it."

Behind his mask the Poison Jam raised an eyebrow. "She's right, he **is **weird," mumbled to himself.

Yoyo had finally gotten a good look around the room. His hoody and his undershirt were hanging on a wire that was connected to a wall a few yards away from him, his skates were directly under them. A bonfire had been started in a trashcan at the center of the room. There were cats everywhere. He noticed that they were going in and coming out of large cracks in the walls. The sheer number of cats led him to believe he was inside what was known as "the cat room." He was definitely still on Kibagaoka Hill. But what was a Poison Jam doing here?

"I've been living here for the past few weeks." His question was answered before it was asked.

"So what's your name anyway?" He was going to be down there for a while, he may as well get to know the guy.

"My name doesn't really matter…for now you can call me Ghidorah."

"Ghidorah?" King Ghidorah was the three headed space monster from Gojira (Godzilla).

"Something wrong with that?" he seemed agitated.

"'Course not… so, who's 'she'?"

"None of your business."

"Ah c'mon…"

He lay down on the mattress. "No."

"But…"

He rolled over on his side, his back facing Yoyo.

He wasn't going to talk to him. _Fine_, Yoyo adjusted his glasses… they weren't there, _Shit, they must've been washed away…_ Figures that would happen to him. What was real fucked up was that those were the glasses that Rhyth had given him two days ago as an early-

_Cell phone._ He checked his pockets and pulled it out. _Fuck!_ It was dead… of course it was dead, it wasn't waterproof or anything like that. How was he gonna get in contact with them? Damn it. He saw the metal ladder that led out of the room. He approached it and climbed up. Ghidorah had set up a tarp so that the rain wouldn't enter through the hole of an entrance. Yoyo lifted it and took a peek outside. It was really coming down. A bit of wind blew. It kissed his face, chilling him to the bone. He shuddered. Grabbing the ladder, he slid back down to the floor.

It was so cold. He approached the bonfire and stuck his hands out. _So cold…_ He sat down on the floor. And wrapped his arms around his knees. _I really almost died today… maybe I need to be more careful… I wonder why Corn wanted me to be home so badly… he usually don't care if I'm out in the rain._

**

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GG's HQ on Dogenzaka Hill- 5: 31pm

Corn sat on the couch drumming his fingers on the table. He had clearly run out of patience and was doing his best to keep his composer with everyone else around. _It's been over three hours._ He heard everyone else conversing with one another and tried to do his best to focus on their conversations and not on Yoyo.

"Where's Yoyo?" he heard Rhyth ask Gum.

"I don't know…I know he likes to go at his own pace, but this is just too much."

"That 'lil punk bettah show his ass up," he heard Garam say semi-loudly.

"Just be patient…you know him, he'll show up… eventually," a deep voice answered, it was Combo.

"I agree with Garam," Cube kind of surprised him with that one "I begged our boss for this day off. I didn't do that just to sit on ass and do nothing…he'd better show his ass up real soon... or his fate is sealed." Corn smirked a bit when she said his fate would be sealed.

"He looks a bit angry, don'cha think?" Soda asked someone.

"Yeah," Beat answered "Yoyo disobeys him all the time but he's never just completely disregarded him before… I hope nothin' happened to him." Corn frowned a bit… Beat was right, something could've happened to him that was causing his delay.

He felt something nudge his leg and looked down, it was Potts. He whined a bit, _Guess you're a little worried about him too, huh boy?_ He reached down and scratched the dogs chin, then behind his ear. He sighed. A hand landed on his shoulder. He looked up but no one was standing in front of him so he turned around, Jazz. "Hey."

"Hey," she jumped over the back of the couch and landed next to him "You all right?"

"I was a little mad at first but now I'm worried."

She reached down and picked up Potts by his arms and swayed him left and right. "Why are you worried? He always takes his time."

"Yeah, but it's been three hours… he's never been this late before."

"What did he say when you called him?"

"He said he was coming."

"Three hours ago?"

"**Over** three hours ago."

Jazz was quiet for a moment. "We should go look for him."

They got their coats prepared to leave. Corn stopped at the door. "If Yoyo comes home before we get back, just go on with everything as planned."

Okay was said in unison.

* * *

**Kibagaoka Hill Cat Room- November 21?? (Because Yoyo has no idea what time it is.)**

"Hey… yo, wake up." Yoyo nudged Ghidorah with his foot. Ghidorah rolled onto his back and looked up at Yoyo. "You got a phone?"

"No," he rolled back over.

He nudged him again and he rolled back over. "You got a watch?"

"It's broken," He rolled back over.

Yoyo nudged him again, he rolled over again. "Who's 'she?'"

"I'm not gonna tell you and if you touch me with your foot one more time I'm gonna break it and tear it off," He rolled back over.

Yoyo sat down and wrapped his arms around his knees again. "What are you doin' down here anyway?" he mumbled.

"I live down here."

"Well, why?"

"Because I have nowhere else to go."

"What about Rokkaku-dai heights or the sewer… you guys are all over those places."

Ghidorah rolled over so he could look directly at Yoyo. "You don't know do you?"

"Know what?"

"About what happened with Poison Jam… Professor K. never said anything about it?"

"About what?"

"About Orga."

"Orga?" Orga was a monster from Gojira Millennium (Godzilla 2000).

"The new leader of Poison Jam."

"There's a new leader?"

"Well you didn't think Cube was still in charge did you?"

"Is that who 'she' is?"

"What is with you… no, for your information."

"Oh."

"As I was saying, Orga is the new leader and Poison Jam split up into two groups."

"But why?"

"Because Cube isn't there anymore. Orga wanted to take over, Rodan wanted to take over too, so they started fighting and Rodan lost. Orga's in charge now so he kicked out everyone who sided with Rodan, myself included. I sided with Rodan because I knew Orga from before Poison Jam. There were some things about him that bothered me… the reasons that Cube never wanted him to be a leader in the gang."

"Like what?"

"Well, for starters, his disregard for rules. When Cube organized us she set up by-laws for us to keep us in line. It was a list of things that she never wanted us to do. Orga broke every one of those rules."

"What rules?"

"You ask a lot of questions don't you? She didn't want to see us doing any harm to the people that lived in our territory for one. Another rule was that we weren't supposed to steal. I guess it goes without saying that he broke those rules."

"Why would he break those rules?"

"Because he's a sociopath."

"What's a sociopath?"

"According to the theory of Freudian psychoanalysis, a sociopath has a strong id and ego that overpowers the superego. Internalized morals of their unconscious mind are restricted from surfacing to the ego and consciousness. They are indifferent to the possibility of physical pain or other punishments and show no indications that they experience fear when so threatened. They have a total disregard for the consequences of their actions and their aforementioned lack of empathy."

"Oh… huh?"

Ghidorah sighed. "A sociopath is someone who can do terrible things to others because they have no conscience or fear of consequences."

"How did you know he was a sociopath?"

"There were symptoms."

"Such as?"

"Persistent lying and stealing, recurring difficulties with the law… he tended to violate the rights of others. He was aggressive, violent and prone to getting into fights. He could never keep a job. He was always either agitated or depressed and couldn't deal with boredom. He disregarded the safety of himself and others and was impulsive and reckless. He was always witty and charming but it was superficial. He had an extreme sense of entitlement. He never felt any remorse or guilt if he hurt someone and as a result he had trouble making or keeping friends."

"That actually sounded a bit like this guy I know."

"You should be careful around him."

"So if you and Orga were friends before, why'd you switch sides on him?"

"I already told you why."

"Oh yeah… is that why Cube never wanted him to take over?"

"It about sums it up."

"So you live down here because he's after you?"

"Yeah."

"That's messed up."

"Yeah…"

"Yoyo!" They looked up at the hole. "Yoyo!" Someone was calling him. Yoyo climbed the ladder, moved the tarp and popped his head out of the hole. He looked around and eventually saw them, it was Corn and Jazz.

He climbed out of the hole and approached them. He waved at them. "Hey! I'm over here!"

**Kibagaoka Hill- 6:57pm**

Corn and Jazz jumped from roof to roof to get to him. It was still raining so they had to be extremely careful. Eventually they reached him. He raised both of his arms to wave and grinned at them. Corn punched him in the face. "Where the hell have you been? What the hell is wrong with you!?"

Yoyo held his nose. "I fell into the reservoir…"

Corn dropped down on one knee and propped Yoyo up. "You what? Are you allright?"

"I was until you punched me."

Corn cocked his hand to deliver another blow to the boys' face, but Jazz grabbed his hand and held it back. "The important thing is that you're alright now… where are your clothes?"

"They're in the cat room… this guy pulled me out and put down there, he's still down there c'mon." He omitted the little detail about the guy being a Poison Jam.

They climbed down into the hole to retrieve his stuff. Yoyo led them and he wouldn't shut up. "He's pretty cool… I was calling for help and he just came and…" Ghidorah was gone.

Jazz looked around… nothing but cats. "Where is he?"

Yoyo scratched his head. "I… don't know…"

Corn sighed, "Whatever man, get your stuff and let's go."

* * *

**GG's HQ- 7:50pm**

The door flew open. Corn entered. "Look who we found!" Yoyo sheepishly crept into view. Everyone booed.

"Oh come on…"

"You'd better have a damn good excuse for missin' your own birthday party!" Gum yelled at him.

"I'll tell you if you gimme some cake…"

Clutch shook his head. "No fuck that, no cake for you!"

"But you don't even know what happened!"

"We don't care!" they all yelled at him.

Yoyo groaned.

After a while, when everyone had cooled down, he told them about falling off of the wire into the reservoir and about how he was saved (he chose not to use Ghidorahs' name when he told them). Given everything that he went through, Gum decided that he deserved a slice of cake.

He would have enjoyed the party, but unfortunately something was weighing on his mind. He approached her. "Yo, Cube."

"What?" She spat out aggressively. She glared at him, clearly she was still upset.

He gulped. "Do you know a guy named Ghidorah?"

There was a look of surprise on her face. Her tone softened ."Yeah… what about him?"

Yoyo took a deep breath. "I think there's something you should know…" he led her outside and told her everything.

She was shocked. "How long ago did that happen?" she asked.

"He didn't say, he just told me that Orga was in charge now."

"If Orga's in charge then we have to find Ghidorah, he's in serious danger."

"So how do you plan to find him." They turned to see Corn standing a in the doorway. "The guy disappeared in two minutes… he doesn't want to be found."

Yoyo thought about it. "Couldn't we get Professor K. to send out a message to him?"

"Did he have a radio?"

"I didn't see one…"

"Then we'll just be puttin' him in danger. We need to look for him quietly. Does anyone else here know him?" He directed his question to Cube.

Cube sighed. "…Rhyth."

"Then we don't tell her, Orga might hurt her if she goes lookin' for Ghidorah."

"So who looks for him?" Yoyo asked.

"You, you, me, Soda, Garam and Combo."

"Why them?" Cube asked.

"Because Combo and Garam'll help you if you ask them. As for Soda… he used to be a Poison Jam, remember?"

Yoyo was shocked. "He what?"

"Then we may as well use Rhyth to." Cube said.

"…I guess you're right. Just make sure she doesn't go after him alone."

"What does Rhyth have to do with it?" Yoyo asked.

Cube looked down at him. "It's obvious isn't it?"

"Put two and two together man." Corn added.

Yoyo thought for a moment then figured it out, _"So who's 'she'" "None of your business."_. "She was a Poison Jam. She's the one that he mentioned."

Cube raised an eyebrow. "He mentioned her?"

"He said she said I was weird but he only said she, he didn't say her name."

Corn shrugged. "In any case, we should wait until tomorrow to let them know… no need to stress them out."

Cube nodded. "Agreed… Yoyo, keep your mouth shut."

"Right. Project Ghidorah is a go yo!"

They stared at him. Shaking their heads they reentered the building.

"Aww c'mon yo, you know that was funny." They groaned and slammed the door in his face.

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_**-Damn that took forever! I'm finally done though and I'm already story boarding the next few fics. I'll come back around to this one later on.**_

_**Please Review.**_


	21. Great Day: SideB

_**I don't own JSRF…I **__**DO**__** own this fic so don't plagiarize…952 hits. Not much else to say.

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**Great Day Side-B**

**(Combo/Cube)

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_**This is mainly about Cube trying to get over a traumatic childhood in order to attempt to enter a relationship. Seriously, do not read this if you don't have the stomach for this kind of subject matter (sexual abuse). **_

_**I bet you're wondering why I'm putting up the second part of "Great Day" so late, right? Well… I actually had every intention of leaving it as a one-shot but I recently changed my mind, sort of. I was actually going to set this at a different time and place and under different circumstances, but decided this would work better. I guess you can just consider this a very late chapter two.

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**Cube's Room- Nov. 12, 8:17**

_**(Be sure to re-read "Great Day" as this picks up where it left off.)**_

They had been fooling around for a few minutes but now things were getting a little more serious. _"Come on…I want to show you just how straight I am." Great, so what now? Can I really go through with this? I can try…I can hope that I don't break into tears halfway through…or after…or before…I can do this…I can do this, I can do this, I can do this…_ A now shirtless Combo had already removed her hoody and her grey t-shirt. She felt his lips press against hers again. _It feels so good when he does that… _

Combo pulled her black undershirt off now. He kissed her again. She loved the kisses. She felt his hands against her bare skin sliding down her back. She started to tingle. She felt them go into the back pockets of her jeans and squeeze. _I can do this._ He kissed down her neck. _I can do this._ Her shoulder. _I can do this._ Her breast.

**Father…alcohol…bed…blackout… undressed… semen… shower… crying…**

_I can't do this!_ She pushed him away. She lifted her arms to cover her chest and turned away from him as he gave her a look that simply said "what the fuck?" He didn't say it of course but his uplifted arms said it for him.

She was panting. "I… I don't think I can do this."

Combo reached out to her. "What's wrong?" he asked. He touched her and she immediately cringed. He took a deep breath. He grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. She didn't make eye contact. Her head was turned completely away from him. He lifted her chill. She still had her eyes away from him. "Cube?" She made eye contact… mascara ran from her eyes in black trails as she began to cry. He sighed. He knew exactly what was wrong.

Combo led her to the bed and gestured for her to sit down. He picked up her grey t-shirt and handed it to her. He sat down next to her as she slipped it back on. He turned to look at her. She turned her head, then her whole body, so that she wasn't looking at him. He sighed. "We're goin' to hafta talk about this sometime, Cube."

"No we won't… we don't ever have to talk about this, CJ."

"Do you think I wanna talk about it?"

"… No, you don't."

"You're right, I don't, but if we actually want to have any kind of relationship beyond just bein' friends then we hafta talk about this."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Then we can't move forward." He got up and walked to the door. As he opened the door he stopped and turned back to her. "If you feel like talkin' I'll be waitin' in my room." He closed the door behind him.

Cube sighed. She reached into her pocket and produced a lighter and a single cigarette. She lit it and inhaled menthol flavor. The smoke came out in a sigh. Did she really want another relationship? It would be more accurate to say another almost-relationship. Four boyfriends and she never had sex with any of them because of this. Whenever it came time to actually go through with it she would have a breakdown. With the breakdown came the explanation. With the explanation came the end of a relationship and any pre-existing relationship with that person. She didn't want that to happen again so she tried to avoid talking about it.

The tricky thing about it was that in this case **not** talking about it was what would prevent a relationship from even starting and, possibly, lose a very good friend.

She blew more smoke out of her nose and sat there for a few minutes. _Fuck this… I can't be alone forever._ She put the cigarette out in a nearby ashtray, got up and left her room.

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**Combo's Room- 8:41pm**

His lights were out and he was stretched out on his bed. Did he leave his shirt in her room? He felt around for the half-empty bottle of Jack Daniel's that he had placed on the floor and sat up slightly as he sucked down about two swallows. He felt a burn in his throat as he gently placed it back on the floor and lay back down. Where did he get that again? Oh, yeah… he took it out of Rhythe's room… she was too young to be drinking anyw-

There was a knock on his door. He already had a good idea of who it was.

"Can I come in?" a female voice. Yep, it was Cube.

"It's unlocked," he answered.

The door opened and she was silhouetted against the dim light of the hallway. The door closed behind her as she entered returning the room to darkness. He could hear her approaching then felt her crawl onto his bed and place her head on his chest. "Why do you want me to tell you this stuff again anyway? I already told you about it."

"You gave me the broad strokes, I want the details."

"I don't see the difference…" she mumbled.

"The difference is broad strokes ain't what's botherin' you, it's the details." He heard her sigh.

She was silent for a moment.

He was silent as well.

"He raped me," she said.

"What?"

"I said before that my father molested me. The truth is he raped me."

"Oh my god…"

"Yeah…"

He swallowed. "This is gonna be hard for you and, now that you said that, I really, really don't wanna-"

"I was eleven." She already knew what he was going to say. "I think I was just startin' to develop, y'know what I mean?" He said yeah. "It was New Years, y'know… in February. Anyway, we had our neighbors over to celebrate. At midnight we started settin' off fireworks. A little while after we ran out of fireworks and everyone started headin' home, I went to my room and lay down. I didn't go to sleep." She stopped for a minute. _I can't believe I'm saying this._

He felt her tremble. "Take your time…"

"I'm okay." Her voice was a bit higher than usual.

"You know what, forget about it. If you don't want-"

"No… I already started, I have to finish."

He put an arm around her. "Alright… go on."

She took a deep breath. "I was layin' down and I heard a knock on my door. It was my father…"

* * *

**Taipei, Taiwan- 1:17am, Nine Years Ago**

"Are you alright Yu?" She was laying there in the dark but he could tell she was awake.

"Huh? Oh, hi daddy. I'm okay."

"Is anything wrong?"

"I have a headache."

"Is that all?" He left for a moment and came back. "Drink some of this." He handed her a half-empty bottle of champagne.

She gasped; he had never let her have champagne before. "Really?"

He chuckled. "You were a very good girl last year, I think you deserve a reward."

She grinned.

"Don't drink too much now." He left the room.

**Fifteen Minutes Later**

He knocked on her door again.

"hic… Come in." There was a lot of cheer in her voice now. She had drunk too much… the rest of the bottle actually. She was feeling like she could pass out at any minute.

He was shocked. "I thought I told you not to drink too much!"

She was a bit frightened by his yelling. "I'm sorry daddy, it was really good…"

He slapped her. She held her face as a tear began to run out of her eye. He approached her and grabbed her by her hair and dragged her to the center of the room. He smacked her. He punched her. He punched her again and again. He let go of her hair and backhanded her knocking her head into the floor.

Yu laid there. She was crying, she was weeping but there was no sound.

As quickly as he had lost his temper he regained control of himself. He sat her up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry Yu but if I don't punish you, you just won't learn. Are you alright?"

She was sobbing now. "Yes…"

He sat on her bed and she sat next to him. "You know I don't like to punish you, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Good… I love you very much, Yu. I only want what's best for you."

"I know." She was still sobbing.

"Go to sleep now okay?"

"Okay." She laid down and slowly started to drift off.

As she drifted off she felt something. She didn't know what it was; she had never felt it before. It was brushing against her stomach, and then it found its way up to her chest. She felt it squeeze on her breasts, which were only just starting to grow in. It ran back down her body. Just as she felt it slide into her underwear she blacked out.

**About 11am**

Yu hadn't opened her eyes yet but she was already holding her head. It felt like someone had drilled a hole in it. She couldn't hear anyone downstairs so she assumed her parents weren't home.

Her head was still on her pillow as she opened her eyes. Something was wrong, she could feel it. She felt like she knew what it was but she just couldn't remember. Her entire body ached. Was her entire body supposed to hurt? She tried to sit up and a sharp pain ran through her lower back. She let out a yelp and fell back down. It hurt so much. She tried to move her legs, they hurt more than her back and head.

There was something about the pain that seemed strange, as if the fact that she was in pain wasn't weird enough. She moved her legs again. This time she got a better idea of where the pain was coming from. It was coming from her hips and thighs. She tried to move them again. This time the pain was extreme… and it was coming from somewhere else. She used her hand to trace the pain and eventually found the source… her crotch.

She started to become upset. She tried to remember what happened the night before.

Was that liquid? She raised her hand and looked at it… there was blood on her hand!

She ignored the pain and sat up. There was blood on her sheets. Her panties were around her ankles. What was that on her thigh? It was some kind of liquid. Why hadn't she noticed it before? She swiped it up with her fingers, it was off-white and sticky. She wiped it onto the wall and jumped out of bed. She pulled her shirt off and started ripping her sheets off of her bed.

Yu grabbed a towel and ran to the bathroom. She was right, nobody was home. She rushed into the bathroom and shut the door behind her, locking it. She rushed to the shower and turned on the water.

Just as she was about to step into the shower she felt her stomach wrench and jerk. She dove for the toilet and got to it just in time for her stomach to turn inside-out, sink and force itself out of her mouth… a little of it also came out of her nose. It was disgusting. She gasped and inhaled. Her breathing was cut short by more vomit. She flushed the toilet, got up and rinsed her mouth out in the sink.

Yu finally entered the shower; the water was hot when she got in. She grabbed a bar of soap and started scrubbing herself. She started to hyperventilate. She scrubbed harder. Tears started to run down her face. She gritted her teeth and scrubbed even harder. She let out a sob.

Yu stopped scrubbing. Her arms went limp and she let her head hang. She shut her eyes tight. A shudder ran down her spine and she was suddenly conscious of the pain she woke up in. Her legs felt weak. She sunk down onto her knees and sat with her head in her hands. She wept, she couldn't stop crying.

Yu couldn't stop crying, all she could do was curl herself into a ball and sob.

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**Combo's Room- 9:17pm**

He felt a stream of tears running out of one of his eyes. _What have I done?_ He had pushed her into telling him what happened and now she was having an emotional breakdown. She was gripping him as hard as she could and wouldn't stop crying. Actually she **couldn't** stop crying. Combo wrapped his other arm around Cube as he felt her tears drip onto his chest. The way she described it almost made it seem like it had happened yesterday.

He heard her stop sobbing but the tears continued. She lifted her head. "Do you know what the worst part of it was?" she asked.

He couldn't imagine anything worse than that. He gulped. "What?"

She took a few breaths. "He did it again the same day… I was conscious the second time."

He shut his eyes, _Oh God no…_ "Did you… did you tell anyone?"

She let out a scornful laugh. "Of course… I told my mother…" She adjusted herself so that her head was level with his. He moved over enough for her to rest her head on his pillow. She lay on her back and stared up at the ceiling. "As soon as I told her she beat me… she called me a liar… she called me a whore… she was in denial… she didn't want to believe what he had done to me."

"I'd say that was horrible, but I don't think it would do it justice." He turned his head to the side and saw her staring at him with horrifying intensity. "I'm not making fun of you… I really can't think of a word to describe that."

She turned back to the ceiling. "Atrocious, ghastly, sickening, appalling…"

"I don't think ghastly would fit in there but…"

She was staring at him again.

"… I'm sorry… I shouldn't have pushed you into this."

She cracked a slight smile. "This is the second time you've made me do something I didn't want to do… and in only two weeks…"

"Ha ha," he let out a sarcastic laugh.

She rolled onto her side and put her arm across him. They held each other in silence for a few minutes. Eventually she stopped crying. She rolled on top of him and laid there for a while. "I know it sounds weird but… I'm glad you made me do this… I still have to work some stuff out but… I feel a little better after telling you."

He tightened his grip on her. "I'm glad you feel better."

"I didn't want to tell you because… because I thought you would leave me."

"I'd never just leave you."

"I wouldn't have blamed you."

"I would've." There was silence. "I love you Cube… I wouldn't leave you over this, I'd never forgive myself."

"Good because if you did I'd have to kill myself."

"What?" It hit him like a ton of bricks.

She looked directly into his eyes. "You wouldn't have been the first person to leave me because of this… I had four other boyfriends and they all left me over this. Before I came in here I swore that if it happened again I'd do the pills and vodka thing... no note."

He let that sink in. "Wow… that's… um…"

"It's messed up?" she suggested.

"Yeah, that works."

"I bet you're wondering why I wouldn't leave a note."

"Kind of…"

"It's morbid to leave a note. Anyway, who's to say I could actually go through with it?"

"Not to change the subject but… when do you think we can… you know…"

"Uh… I don't know… we'll have to see. I don't know how long it'll take me to be ready for that."

"I'll wait. I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to do… again…"

She gave him a peck on the lips and sunk down next to him. "Goodnight."

He, again, tightened his grip on her. "Yeah, goodnight."

"I love you."

"I love you," he said as he yawned. He closed his eyes, _I'll always love you.

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_**-So how was that? I hope I didn't make you too uncomfortable… at least I found a way to kind of steer it towards a less depressing ending. Please review this, I'll be waiting.**_

**_Also, be sure to check out "Down and Out" and "Storm Warning," they're pretty old (a few years old, actually) but they're very well written and worth a read. Trust me. And no this isn't a plug, I didn't write them, it's a promotion for another writer's work... You really need to check them out and leave a review, they're old but the author still checks reviews._**


	22. A Note to Reviewers

**This is all just too long me toput in a header or footer. This is just an author's note… I'm still working on "Friends Forever" part 1 and 2, hopefully I will have them up soon.: **

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**Assassin K.: _First of all: You stole a back hoe? Second: Go Gamecocks (I don't know if you're a fan). Third: Sorry, I didn't mean to make you mad dude… in front of the family no less. I did appreciate you reading it. I actually wasn't sure if you'd review it, you know, because of the subject matter. That kind of stuff tends to make people uncomfortable, then again it's always good to talk about what makes you uncomfortable. _**

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**Shickystyle:**_** Like I said before, I'm glad you trust my judgment. Handling Cube's feelings realistically was one of my biggest concerns. It was a bit difficult for me to show Combo attempting to cheer her up, it was a bit heavy-handed I think. **_

_**Considering that you and A.K. are currently my two main readers I was worried that you would stop reading after that chapter or that you simply wouldn't review it… glad I was wrong. **_

**_Oh… by the way… good to know that you get warm and fuzzy reading chapter twelve (cackles like the wicked witch)._**

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**Tei of the Radio: **_**Dude! I pretty much gave up on you finishing this! First let me say that I'm glad you liked the way I decided to write some of the characters (everyone mentions Corn but I'm glad you mentioned Yoyo and Rhyth, I got tired of them being portrayed as weird or as ditzy). Actually I chalk Cube and Combo up to my own imagination (I never played JGR because I've never owned a Dreamcast).**_

_**As far as everything else: I only just realized a few chapters ago that I had been neglecting Roboy (this was also the only reason I mentioned Potts). I've been trying to figure out a way to both bring him into the story and explain his absence (so far I've got nothing). Rereading GS:1 I realized that I should have left the peace sign up to the readers imagination (Also I'll try not to interupt the story from now on). I don't particularly like writing sex scenes, I just practice them because I would like to be able to write them convincingly if I deem it necessary (and I just noticed that both of them somehow involve Gum… my bad… also I wouldn't say I have a lot of pent up sexual energy, honestly I feel like the first one was unnecessary and the second was really just me answering a kind of half request… I don't plan to expand on the second but I will expand on the first).**_

_**Most importantly: Azumi and Saya… I guess technically they are original characters. They actually are just the hidden Love Shocker and Rapid 99 that can be unlocked in JSRF (Much like Ghidorah is the unlockable Poison Jam). I brought them in on a whim and I started to feel like it just wouldn't be right to leave them out. They aren't there to take the place of the GG's I have been neglecting (I'm still working ways to bring them into the foreground, gonna start with Soda when I bring the story back around to Ghidorah and Orga) but I do feel that having them along for the ride may serve to explain some of the things that I'm going to do in later series'.**_

_**Usually I don't like OC's myself because they just feel like the author is including themselves in the story and usually the story is OC centered… I don't do that, if anything I neglect them.**__** I'm well aware of the difficulty issues and negatives associated with writing original characters. I would actually like them to end up as examples of how original characters should be written (when it's all said and done).**_

_**The first two chapters are a year removed from the rest of the fic. I don't dislike "No Jumper Cables" but I have found flaws in it and still have yet to finish it. I hate McDonalds, it's stupid and pointless and you can tell I had nothing to write about. The sad thing is I actually did have something to write about but halfway through it, it became more about the jokes than the story… I suppose every author has stories they aren't proud of though. **_

_**Other than that: I feel that I've made improvements as well (having your internet shut off for a year does wonders for you). I doubt I'll ever be finished writing this but if/when I do finish I think it could potentially be one of the best JSRF fics written on this site (ambition, you gotta have it). **_

**_BTW: Have you finished your fic?_**

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**To Everyone Else**_**: … I'm truly sorry if I offended you in any way, though I will not remove chapter 21 (not that anyone's asked me to… yet). If you have any comments feel free to review, PM or e-mail me.**_


	23. Breaking Up

_**I don't own JSRF…I **__**DO**__** own this fic so don't plagiarize…over 1000 hits. I estimate that I've got somewhere between 50 and 100 readers… I haven't checked the math yet but that estimate feels about right.**_

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**Breaking Up**

**(Gum)**

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"_**Life's short so love the one you got,  
Cause you might get run-over or you might get shot.  
Never start static I just get it off my chest,**_

_**Never had to battle with no bulletproof vest**__**.  
Take a small example Take a tip from me,  
Take all of your money and give it up to charity;  
Love's what I got it's within my reach,  
And the sublime style's still straight from long beach.  
It comes back to you you're gonna get what you deserve,  
Try and test that you're bound to get served.  
Love's what I got  
don't start a riot  
you feel it when the dance gets hot."**_

_**-"What I Got" by Sublime**_

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**AssassinK.: **_**Yes you stole a backhoe. "One of those long-armed digging machines," that you said you took. That's a backhoe. (You'd really vote for this as the best fic in the category? Cool!)**_

**Tei****/Radio**_**: For some reason I can't open up the links you sent me… sometimes this website doesn't let you type in a site name. Could you send me the links via e-mail?**_

_**I'm going to be putting some information in here that I'm going to have to go back several chapters and change. Not the least of which is my decision that Boogie be French… stop staring at me.**_

_**The number of fics under this category seems to constantly fluctuate… Yesterday there were last week there were 229 yesterday there were 230 now there are 226… what the hell? There should definitely be more writers for this category and it's sad that there aren't.**_

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**GG HQ, Dogenzaka Hill, Gum's room- Nov. 23, 6:17am**

Gum knew without opening her eyes that she was naked… again. She knew because she could feel the girl's skin touching hers and the pressure of her head against her breast. As she opened her eyes she tilted her head downward to see a lovely black girl draping her arm across her stomach and resting her head on her chest. She was still sleeping. She was breathing softly. She was… mumbling something in French. She was smiling.

Gum smiled. She started to twist one of the girl's blonde dreadlocks around her index finger. She was careful not to pull on it; she didn't want to wake her up.

Boogie started talking in her sleep again. "Je t'aime, Yasu."

Gum smiled again. She wasn't sure what Boogie had just said, but she heard her name so she assumed it was good. She wrapped her arms around her.

Boogie's eyes slowly opened and she looked up at Gum. "Bonjour." She slid up next to her and gently kissed her. "You're up early."

"So are you."

"You woke me up when you started playing with my hair."

"That actually woke you up?"

"Oui." She closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

Gum sighed. She tightened her grip on the girl and closed her eyes.

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**Gum's room- 8:30am**

She woke up again. Boogie wasn't there anymore but she knew that already, she could feel her leaving the bed as she slept.

She sat up and the first thing she saw was a pair of tan Dickies and her Yoshinoya shirt, Boogie had put her clothes out for her. Gum didn't want to go to work today though… in fact she wanted to quit her job and find another one. At the moment that was at the top of her "To Do" list. She put on the Dickies and a white t-shirt as she mentally ran through the rest of her list: re-tag her bedroom walls, wash her clothes, WD-40 her skate wheels, help Corn reassemble Roboy (whom he had disassembled for their move and saved a back-up of his memory on Jazz's laptop. He had completely forgotten about him until one day Jazz complained of her computer yelling at her as soon as she logged on), bug Cube, break-up with Boogie, and pick the mushrooms she was growing in her closet… yes she was indeed growing mushrooms in her closet.

Oh… you wanted to know about the whole breaking up with Boogie thing… well, that's not as interesting a story as her drug harvest but I'll humor you.

She had been un-officially dating Boogie for about four weeks now. She was happy with their relationship and she knew that Boogie was happy too. They had similar interests (which was the reason they had even become friends in the first place), they were very open and honest with each other and they enjoyed each others company… of course the sex was good too, but that wasn't what was important. What was important was that this was the first relationship Gum had been in that lasted more than two weeks… and yet, she wanted to end it.

She tried to rationalize it but even her own inner monologue didn't agree with her. _**Why don't you just admit it… you don't like bein' happy. **_

_That's not true. I put bein' happy above everything else in my life. _

_**Then why? Why on Earth are you tryin' to sabotage this the same way you've sabotaged all of your other relationships?**_

_I'm not sabotagin' it…_

_**Then give me one good reason why you want to end it. **_

…

… _**Well?**_

_I'm thinkin'…_

_**Did you really just say that to your own thoughts?**_

… _Uh…_

_**You can't even think of a halfway decent reason! And don't pull that "What could two women do together" card because you ain't exactly straight anymore. You've already had sex with her fourteen times and you had sex with Rhyth three times and you fantasized about Cube twenty-two times and…**_

_Okay! I get it… I'm probably not straight at this point._

_**What the hell do you mean "probably?" At this point you're all man.**_

_Take that back bitch!_

_**You take it back, you said it. Look… you say you didn't sabotage your other relationships? Go talk to Corn. He'll tell you what you seem to not want to tell yourself. **_

_Fine, I'll tell Corn and he'll agree with me._

_**What about work? You aren't gonna go today?**_

_Did my own thoughts really just ask me that?_

* * *

**Kitchen- 8:48am**

"I don't agree with you," Corn said as he swallowed a spoonful of Frosted Flakes.

"What?" She was actually surprised.

"Well c'mon… you both get along great. This is the first time you've actually been with someone and it's lasted more than a week. I'm startin' to think you should've gone les years ago… would've saved me a bit of heartbreak."

She snorted. "That's bullshit."

"Oh yeah? You remember why you and Beat broke-up?"

"'Cause I slept with you."

"Oh sure… blame me."

"You coulda stopped me."

"Psh. Like I was gonna stop you. You know me better than that." He grinned as Jazz entered the kitchen. "Hey baby…"

Jazz snorted. "Go fuck yourself… I heard what you said."

"Why are we makin' this all about me?"

Beat entered. "Because you brought it up. By the way… nice to know you made no effort to stop my ex from having sex with you." He narrowed his eyes at Corn.

Corn downed the milk in his bowl. "You weren't satisfyin' her so I stepped up to the plate and did what you couldn't do… technically I did you a favor."

"Yeah… thanks a lot there buddy… you really did me a solid."

"Urp. That's what friends are for."

"Fucking your girl behind your back?"

"No fuckin' **your** girl **from** the back."

"Some friend you are," Jazz mumbled.

"I can't help it if I have a bigger…"

Jazz stuffed a piece of toast into his mouth. She turned to Gum. "So what's goin' on wit' you and Boogie anyway?"

Gum was rooting through the cupboards. _Coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee… _"I don't know what it is but somethin' about us bein' together just doesn't feel right."

Beat smirked. "Well, you have only been doing her for four weeks now… get out while there's still a window." He and Corn shared a rare laugh together. It soon became Corn laughing at Beat instead of with him when Gum threw a can of pineapple rings at her ex's head.

Corn let his laughter subside. "Was it worth it?"

"You know it," Beat sang as he popped the lid off of the pineapple can and helped himself to its contents.

Corn cleared his throat. "Back to what I was sayin' before… you broke-up with Beat because of me… you dumped me because we were unhappy together and both wanted to go back to bein' friends."

"I didn't dump you," Gum said in her defense. "That was mutual." She didn't find any coffee.

Beat swallowed some pineapple. "And she didn't break-up with me… I dumped her… because of **you**."

Corn sighed. "Beat… climb down off your cross, use the wood to build a bridge and get over it. Like I was sayin' after Beat **dumped** you, you started goin' with Combo. Then you two were done in a week… what was up with that by the way?"

"That was because of Cube," Gum answered.

"What, you knew she liked him or somethin'?" Jazz asked.

"I kinda have a sixth sense when it comes to those things, y'know?"

"So you backed off of him because you just had a feelin' she liked him?"

"No, it was because she told me to back off."

"Oh… did you fuck?"

"You know it," she sang.

Beat groaned. "Great… you fucked 'Long Dong Silver' too."

"Just once…"

"That's not what he told me," Corn mumbled.

"Let's not change the subject… what'd he tell you?"

Corn shrugged. "Don't worry about it. The point is you backed off of him. Oh, and let's not forget about the four boyfriends you left in Detroit."

Jazz's eyes widened. "Four?"

"There weren't four!" Gum shouted.

Corn counted them on his fingers. "Terrell, Jack, Tom, Felix and Tyrone… Your right, there weren't four… there were five." He held up his hand. "How did you have five boyfriends? You didn't even have a boyfriend 'til you were thirteen and that was the same year you went back to Japan."

She grinned sheepishly. "I was busy."

Jazz raised an eyebrow as she raised her glass of water to her lips. After she took a few sips she asked, "Did you have sex with all of them?"

"I didn't have sex with any of them… and I'm really startin' to feel uncomfortable talkin' about this."

Beat finished his pineapples. "Let's not forget about the nine guys she went out with **before** she started going with me." He drank the juice left in the can.

"I only had sex with three of those guys," Gum said in her defense.

Corn sighed. "Yasu… as your friend, I've gotta tell you… if I didn't know you better, I'd think you were a total slut."

Gum narrowed her eyes at him.

"Just sayin' is all… I don't think you're really a slut… maybe slut-ish…" he stammered.

She slowly approached him.

Corn sighed. "Can I get a head start?"

"Three-and-a-quarter seconds."

Corn rocketed out of the kitchen.

* * *

**Actually in the process of writing the second half of this as I type this. Tell me what you think so far.**


	24. Between Friends

_**I don't own JSRF…I **__**DO own this fic so don't plagiarize… because it took me forever to write this really shitty chapter. Talk about inconsistent.**_

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**Between Friends**

**(Gum, Cube)**

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"_**Baby slow down, take your time  
You and me goin' be here for a while  
Okay, hey  
I got so much that I want to do  
I can show you better than I can say  
Let me show you  
. . .**_

_**Oh baby, you make me feel so good  
Come let me take you by the hand  
. . .**_

_**Enough talk and let's move**__**"**_

_**-**__**From "The Panties" by Mos Def **_

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**Ghostface Kyeste: **_**I'm still working on names for everyone. **__**List of names (so far; subject to change): Taisuke Beniya (Beat), Brigitte Gado (Boogie), Calvin Kim (Clutch), C.J. Wilson (Combo), Cornelius Kurosawa (Corn; only thing I could think of for him), Yu Shen (Cube), Terrance Graham (Garam), Yasu Gohda (Gum), Jasmín Vargas (Jazz), Ryoko (Rhyth), no name for Soda yet, Yoh (Yoyo), something that most assuredly begins with K (D.J. Prof. K)**_

_**I've put a lot of thought into this… I have whole names for Azumi and Saya, but those are somewhat less important.**__** Like I said before, the characters have no personality or backgrounds in the game. I had to give them some… it ain't easy, I'll tell you that.**_

**Old Dirty Tei-sama (O.D.T.): **_**How did you actually find a way to crossover JSRF, Nightmare Before Christmas and Danny Phantom? Are you an insomniac? It seems like you would need to be up for days to come up with that one). I had to find time because I've been busy but I'm about halfway through pumpkins. I'll get back to you when I'm done. Thanks again… oh yeah, who's Disk? ':-)**_

_**BTW: **__**I couldn't tell if you were serious or joking about that Ultimate Frisbee thing… I'll assume serious... for now.**_

**The SHZA: **_**Rolling stone? Hmm…yeah, I like that. I decided it was time to bring back banter, I felt like I hadn't been concentrating on that lately. It's pretty hard to get back into that writing mode though so it took me a while. Welcome back.**_

_**BTW: I checked your profile page and guess what I found under your favorites? I told you it was a good story!**__** Also, I decided to check out "Time Warped," (because it was written by the same author). I liked it a lot … though I have noticed that in that Tallulah's work Cube seems to get raped a lot… not that I'm one to talk, it's just an observation.**_

**All: **_**I'm writing this now but I'm currently tinkering with plenty of ideas. I think at some point I'd like to open up a side fic where I can post all of the ideas I have that either can't be used (because they won't fit with the story) or that I'm unsure about using for the main story… good way to organize my ideas and stuff and decide what should be kept. Eventually I'm going to have to bring the story back so I can cover the months of August and September (and the rest of October). I'd like to make it to December at some point in the story and possibly January. **_

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**Lane Diner, Chuo- Nov. 23, 11:30am**

Mr. Yamada (the diner's owner) found her slicing meat and approached her. "Hey Yu… your cousin's here to see you."

Cube was confused. _My cousin?_ She wiped her hands on her apron and headed for the front counter to meet her "cousin."

It was Gum. She was smiling. "Hi Yuyu-chan!"

Cube's eye twitched. She feigned a smile and show of affection for her sometimes-friend who was posing as her cousin so as not to arouse her boss's suspicion. They started to chat a bit but as soon as he was gone she grabbed Gum by her collar. "I thought I told you not to call me that… what the hell are you sayin' you're my cousin for?"

"Is everything okay over there Yu?" Mr. Yamada asked from the kitchen.

Cube put her arm across Gum's shoulders. "Uh… yeah! She was just… um…"

"I was just comin' to tell her about some family business… nothin' you'd be interested in," Gum lied. Mr. Yamada nodded and went to find Combo, who was supposed to be cleaning out the freezer. Gum blew a sharp sigh of relief. She turned to Cube. "Nice save, huh?"

Cube wrapped her arm completely around Gum's neck, choking her. "If I end up getting' fired for this I'll kill you bitch."

When Cube loosened her grip Gum broke free and immediately began rubbing her neck. "Relax… can you get off work early?"

"What? Are you insane? I was an hour late!" Cube couldn't tell if Gum had lost her mind but she had a feeling she had.

Gum rolled her eyes. "What's your boss's name?"

"Yamada… why?"

"Mr. Yamada!" A few seconds after Gum called out for him Mr. Yamada appeared before them. "I came here because my mother, Yu's aunt, is in the hospital and she is very ill. I was on my way to visit her and I remembered that Yu works here. She had always said that my mom was her favorite aunt… is it alright if she takes the day off to come with me to visit her?"

Mr. Yamada stared blankly at her. "That's an absolutely horrible lie… take the day off if you want but don't expect to get any pay for the two hours you were here." He turned and went back to what he was doing… chastising Combo for shooting dice in the freezer with two of the chef's rather than cleaning it out like he told him to.

Cube laughed derisively. "Smooth… velvety smooth."

Gum elbowed her. "Shut up."

**Shibuya, Twenty Minutes Later**

_Damn… Starbucks really __**is**__ everywhere._ Gum sucked down her frappuccino and watched Cube pick at her cinnamon roll. She wasn't paying much attention to what her punk-rocker/hip-hopper sometimes friend/sometimes enemy was saying to her… it was something about how she always bothered her at work. Gum thought it was a bit hypocritical for her to bitch at her about that, especially after all the times she and Big Black had bugged her for discounts or the occasional handout at Yoshinoya.

_Why's she still got her apron with her?_ The girl was still dressed for work: jeans, a black t-shirt that said "Lane Diner" and an apron white folded and draped neatly across her shoulders and hanging in front of her. Her nametag said "Yu S." Cube was talking, she stopped to tear off a piece of her cinnamon roll and place it in her mouth. _She has a cute mouth._ Gum could see her tongue stud from where she was sitting.

Cube said something else that was inaudible. It was white noise. She could actually hear the static. "Krshhhhhhhhhhht…work…"

Gum snapped out of it. "Huh?"

"I said shouldn't you be at work?"

"No, I quit just before I went to get you."

Cube coughed up a bit of her snack. "You what? Have you lost your mind? What are you gonna do about money?"

"Don't worry about it…" She took another sip. "I'll find a new job."

Cube sighed. Gum was so short-sighted. "What'd you wanna talk to me about anyway?"

"Oh…" up until that very second Gum was actually reconsidering even asking her but now she had no choice. "Umm… I'm thinking about breaking it off with Boogie."

Cube raised an eyebrow. "Okay. So why do I care?"

"Well, you're my friend. I thought I could ask you for your opinion on it."

"It's your life, not mine." Cube sipped her espresso.

"You're part of that life… get used to it."

"No. I will not get used to it."

Gum giggled. "Too late, you're already used to it."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Just tell me what you want to know… am not."

"Are too."

"Gum!"

"Right, right… um, I don't know how to explain it except that somehow it feels wrong." She took another sip of frappuccino.

Cube raised an eyebrow. "Well… what do you mean 'feels wrong'?"

"Well, it's like this… I've been with a lot of guys…" when she said that a lot of people who had been minding their own business (as they should) suddenly tuned into the two girls' conversation, "But all of those relationships ended badly."

Cube counted on her fingers. "Beat, corn, C.J… am I missing anyone else I know, besides Rhyth?"

"I see you have jokes… well, don't tell anyone this but I had one-night stand with Yoyo…"

"Eww!" Cube stuck her tongue out.

"Oh come on, he's not that bad… he wasn't that bad either."

"Too much info." Cube sipped her espresso. "When did that happen anyway?"

"September… anyway, I've been with a lot of guys but those all ended either badly or quickly. This is the first time I've been with a girl… in a relationship, and it's the longest I've ever been with anybody."

"So what's the problem?"

"Somethin' feels wrong."

"And you want me to help you figure out what that is?" Gum nodded eagerly. Cube ate the last of her cinnamon roll. She chewed it slowly as she thought. She swallowed and finally returned her attention to Gum. "I'm afraid I can't help you."

Gum's eye twitched. "What do you mean you can't help me?"

Cube sighed. "Look, your problem is that you're institutionalized… do you know what that means?" Gum shook her head. "To accustom so firmly to the care and supervised routine of an institution as to make incapable of managing a life outside… basically you're so used to being in bad relationships where either you get along but the sex is bad or the sex is good but you don't get along or where the sex is bad and you don't get along that you don't know how to manage a relationship where the sex is good and you get along."

Gum was a bit confused. "That has nothing to do with the definition…"

Cube held the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index. "Look, bad relationships are your institution, like a prison or rehab. Your problem is that you've been in that prison for so long that you aren't ready for life on the outside, get it?"

Gum nodded. "…No, I do not."

"How are you so dense?!" Cube's voice rose to the point of being a shrill cry.

"Well stop usin' every fuckin' twenty-dollar word you know and just tell me what you're sayin'!"

"It feels wrong because you're used to bad relationships and this is the first good one you've ever been in!"

"Well why the fuck didn't you say that before?!"

"I did, I was just being metaphorical because so many people are eaves-dropping!"

"Oh!" Gum turned to face everyone else in the Starbucks. "Why don't all of you mind your own god damn business, this doesn't fuckin' concern any of you!"

"Yeah!"

"Uh, ladies?" they turned to see a clerk standing next to their table. "I'm afraid you're going to have to leave." He pointed at the door.

Gum and Cube looked at each other for a moment then turn back to the clerk. Gum punched him in the face. They left.

**Shibuya– Entering Dogenzaka, 12:15 pm.**

They continued their conversation as they skated down the street. Now that they didn't really have to worry about eaves-droppers it was a lot easier for Cube to explain what she thought was wrong with Gum, and Gum actually understood her this time.

"So then it's all in my head?" That's what Gum was getting out of their conversation.

"Exactly. Just stop thinking about it and eventually you'll get used to it. Never over think… not that you need to worry about that."

"What'd I ever do to you? You always say stuff like that to me? I thought we were friends."

"Sure we are… we just aren't that close so we can still say this kind of stuff to each other."

Gum looked a bit hurt. "What are you talkin' about… we are close."

"Prove it."

"I gave you a good night kiss yesterday before we went to our beds."

"I didn't ask for that." Actually she had.

"Yes you did, in fact you initiated it."

Cube sucked her teeth. "Whatever queer."

"Why do you always say that when I prove you wrong?"

"It's an easy out."

"I'm not really gay."

"We're all a little gay it's just a matter of how gay you are."

"Shut up. That's bullshit."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yah-huh."

Cube shoved Gum. "Nuh-uh."

Gum shoved her back. "Yah-huh."

They kept that up, gradually getting more violent, until they got home.

**GG's Headquarters, 12:53pm**

They had a lot of free time now that Cube was off for the day and Gum was now unemployed so they decided to just chill in Gum's room for a while. They sat on Gum's bed listened to some music. Well, actually Gum had her head resting on Cube's lap and was braiding a lock of the girl's hair. Cube was playing with Gum's hair but was also constantly knocking Gum's hands away and unbraiding the lock (which Gum kept re-braiding). "Stop it."

"No. I won't stop until you admit that we're close friends."

"We aren't close friends."

"Yes we are."

"No we aren't."

"Yes we are… we even have that soft-core lesbo vibe goin'."

"I think you're the only one who feels that."

"Then why are you squeezin' my boob?" Cube was, in fact, squeezing her boob.

"Just copping a quick feel." She laughed.

Gum slapped her lightly across the face. She feigned a damsel-in-distress style voice. "No… stop. Please, don't do touch me like that!"

Cube laughed nefariously and put some bass in her voice. She squeezed harder. "Mwah-ha-ha… don't fight it, it'll be over soon enough…" She stuck her tongue all the way out and lowered her head towards Gum's face.

Gum grabbed her face with both hands and steered her away. "Actually while we're on the subject, can I talk to you about somethin'?"

Cube released herself from Gum's hands. "Sure. What's up?"

"Um… do you remember that vibe I mentioned?"

"Like, twenty seconds ago?"

"Yeah that. It's just that I was wonderin'…"

"Yes, I do feel it sometimes. I think it might just have something to do with how over-affectionate we tend to be towards each other."

"Yeah… look… I…"

"You were wondering if I had the same feelings towards you that you have towards me?"

"Yeah. How did you know that?"

"Did you want to know if I actually wanted to act on those hypothetical feelings?"

"I think that would be better left unsaid, y'know?"

"Some things are."

Gum ran her hand against Cube's cheek. "Thanks… I think…"

"Hey if things don't work out with C.J. and Boogie, we've always got each other… speaking of Boogie, I think you should probably tell her about your little crisis today."

"Can you help me tell her?"

"I'm going to be explaining to C.J. why I left him hanging at work, so no."

"That's gonna suck."

"Uh Gum?"

"Yeah?"

"What's he like in bed?"

"Why're you askin' me? Shouldn't you know?"

"…"

Gum sat up. "You don't know. Why don't you know?"

Cube rubbed the back of her head. "Because we haven't…" she trailed off.

A look of childlike joy appeared on Gum's face. "You haven't had sex with him! Oh my god, are you…" her eyes narrowed as she eyed her suspiciously. "Yuyu-chan, are you a virgin?"

"No I haven't, no I'm not and stop fucking calling Yuyu-chan!"

"So why haven't you two…"

"We just haven't… I… I'm not really ready for that."

"Is he?"

"Oh you know it."

Gum laid back down on Cube's lap. "Then he might cheat on you."

"That's a fucked up thing to say."

"Just do it, what are you afraid of."

"I fear nothing."

"Nothin'?"

Cube stared into her eyes. "Nothing."

"So you aren't afraid of heights?"

"…Almost nothing."

"Even if you aren't ready for full-on sex, at least do somethin' for him."

"Something like what?"

"Hell, I don't know… anything."

"Gum."

"Yeah?"

"You're a slut."

Gum laughed. "Don't let it get around… that's how rumors get started." Cube laughed.

Gum sat back up and stretched. "Well, I'll see you later." She got up and headed for the door.

Cube was a little upset to see her going. "Why're you leaving?"

"Oh… I got places to go, things to do, a girlfriend to talk to because I have the feelin' she knows that I was doubtin' our relationship even though I'm feelin' better about it now... y'know, same old."

"Oh. 'K, seeya." Cube waved goodbye as Gum left her alone in her own room. As soon the door was closed Cube began rooting through Gum's things. She just couldn't resist finding out a little more about her friend.

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_**I can't tell you where my head's at right now. It's been two weeks and I really just couldn't get around to writing this chapter. I don't know why but as I was writing it I couldn't stay focused. This chapter may be the worst I've put out recently. I'm going to keep the story going but somewhere along the line (preferably sometime soon) I'm going to have to fix this chapter. I'm also going to have to figure out if what was wrong here was a lack of structure, a lack of interest or writers block.**_

**_Also, I have a couple of original stories up on FictionPress. I realize this is a shameless plug (minus the shameless part, I feel like a shill), but if you have any interest in reading them let me know so I can email you the links._**

**_Laters._**

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	25. Responses and Comments

**Please forgive the lateness of my updates. I know they are getting less frequent but don't be alarmed, I've just been kind of busy… actually I've been looking for a job recently so that's been taking up most of my time. Just remember… a watched pot never boils, patience is always rewarded**

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**Tony Starks Kyeste: **_**First I actually couldn't decide which Wu-tang member to call you. I decided playing on Ghostface would make the most sense (I thought about calling you the KZA). Now that I've said that, I'm actually not sure if it was writers block or a genuine disinterest in continuing the story. Since I'm already writing this I'd have to assume it was disinterest. Here's hoping it won't come to that.**_

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**Volian:**_** You being back means that I have to come up with a Wu-tang inspired nickname for you. My god, how long were you gone? I think it's actually been about two months (give or take). I kind of wanted to leave a message for you in a chapter header but I thought it might make you feel pressured to review (assuming you were reading) and I didn't want to trap you like that. I swear when I read your review my jaw was hanging the whole time, I didn't expect to hear from you. Good to have you back.**_

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**Tei**_**: I wasn't having as much a problem with the dialogue as I was with keeping to the story. I felt a bit… brain damaged… I don't know. I've got a lot on my plate right now. **_

_**Oh and yes, that does work pretty well for "Pumpkins."**_

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**Shickystyle: **_**I don't like to hurt the ones I love… I've decided to take your suggestion to heart and take a break from my last story. I'll definitely come back to it but probably not for a while. Shza is a Wu-tang joke (The Rza and The Gza are rappers)… I didn't expect everyone to get that though so no worries.**_

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**The TG: **_**Hi there. You've been reading this for months? Really? I'm glad you like my characterizations and storylines. It's so hard to get that stuff right. It's taken me a long time to get my writing style where I want it to be (but of course I can always improve). **_

_**I agree that it's hard to find good stories in this category. Some are damn near excellent (Tallulah), some are coming along nicely (Bagatelle) some are good though very short (Tei of the Radio) some could be good but it remains to be seen because they've not been completed (again Volian I'm looking at you, but you know that already) and then there are a few others that are okay and the rest are all shit (and it doesn't bother me to say that because those authors have stopped updating anyway so I assume they know/knew who they are/were). **_

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**All Others: **_**I'm going to take a timeout from the Gum/Boogie series. I'll get back to it and finish it up at some point but probably not any time soon (I'm really stuck on that one but I don't want to give up). **_

_**I hadn't actually mentioned this before but I've finally come up with a general outline for "Monster Island" a story that will cover most of December staring from about the 10**__**th**__** to maybe a couple of days into January. Currently I have it outlined as being (at least) seven. I don't really think it would be completely necessary to go over ten chapters but time changes ideas. The general idea behind "Monster Island" is basically everything that Yoyo and Ghidorah were talking about in "Downpour" concerning Orga. Let's just say it's quite possibly the best idea I've come up with. It'll definitely be funny, it'll definitely be dramatic but it'll also be action-packed and maybe a bit gritty. It's not like it's going to be the next story I put out, but still be on the lookout. **_

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**Thank You**

_**For your time.**_

_**For your reviews.**_

_**For your 1581 hits.**_

**_PM me if you have any comments... either that or I can open a forum._**

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	26. Black and Blue

_**I don't own JSRF…I **__**DO**__** own this fic so don't plagiarize… Hopefully this will be better than the last chapter.**_

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**Black and Blue**

_**(Combo, Rhyth)**_

"_**40 of Americans own a cell phone,  
so they can hear, everything that you say when you ain't home.  
**_

_**I guess Michael Jackson was right, "You Are Not Alone."  
Rock your hardhat black cause you in the Terror-dome,  
**_

_**Full of hard niggas, large niggas, dice tumblers,  
young teens and prison greens facin' life numbers,  
crack mothers, crack babies and AIDS patients;  
Young bloods can't spell but they can rock you in PlayStation.  
**_

_**This new math is whippin' mother fuckers' ass.  
You wanna know how to rhyme you better learn how to add.  
**_

_**It's mathematics**_"  
**-"Mathematics" by Mos Def**

_**When characters are speaking English **_(("abcd"))_** indicates that they have transitioned into Japanese. It's important for this chapter that you know that.**_

_**I've wanted to do this one for a long time.**_

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**Chuo- November 23, 1:15pm**

Since the disappearance of Gouji Rokakku his "Rokakku Laws" were completely repealed. The new acting Mayor of Tokyo, who had always believed Gouji's policies were a tad extreme, had removed them and in there place set up her own set of rules. There were many changes but the most important, to the rudies at least, was the replacement of the zero-tolerance tolerance policies for skating and graffiti. Skating recklessly was no longer punishable, unless you actually hurt someone other than yourself. Tagging was still a crime, but rather than five years of incarceration and re-education, as it would have before, one would receive up to one-hundred forty-four hours of community service and/or a hefty fine of 25000 yen ($203.15).

Why make those changes? Well, the general opinion was that, while increasing the funding of the police force was indeed a good thing, the fact that all of the new equipment they had received (helicopters, tanks, searchlight towers… giant spider mechs that shoot bombs) was being used to pursue "vandals" rather than to catch criminals, most notably the Golden Rhinos (whom nobody was aware had been hired by Gouji R.), making them a waste of taxpayer money. So between having a corrupt and incompetent police force and misuse of mind-bogglingly expensive equipment the citizens of Tokyo had had enough. Most of the police were fired and replaced by more competent officers, Hayashi was fired and there was nobody who ever said that they weren't happy about it. These changes had been in affect for the past few months.

Rhyth didn't have to pay the fine (as it was the first time she was actually caught) but she did have to serve the full one-hundred forty-four hours of community service, so here she was in a fresh white jumpsuit re-painting a wall. It didn't help her that Combo was sitting on a rail behind her and silently laughing at her as she painted over a tag she had painted the week before. It sucked. She almost shed tears thinking about it.

The tag was a very realistic (though still somewhat cartoonish) caricature of herself gazing up at a night sky with spray cans in each of her hands, eyes closed, wind whipping her hair and skirt and a smile on her face. The angle of view was looking diagonally from the ground to the sky so there was a bit of an up-skirt kind of look going on (she used the black to put a shadow in that area). Faded into the sky was a navy and powder blue outline of the letters that spelled her name in English. It had been done in the distorted, airy, almost otherworldly but not quite surreal, almost impressionistic style her friends had come to know her for. It was a monochromatic: blue, royal blue, navy blue, blue-violet (for the sky), sky blue, powder blue, white and a little black were the only colors that she had used. It was also fairly large, about twelve feet in length and nine feet tall.

Now it was painted over in an ugly, off-white opaque. There was no style, there was no beauty, it was all gone… forever.

Combo couldn't help but laugh at the sight before his eyes. It seemed to anger her but he didn't care, it was funny. It wasn't that he was trying to be cruel, hell he loved Rhyth to death (they had been friends from the time he found on top of that old strain stop in Rokkaku-dai Heights and recruited her)– she was like a little sister to him; she was actually very much like one of his actual little sisters– and he truly felt her pain, she had taken so long to paint it (three-days in fact). He could almost feel her tears in his own eyes.

As a rudie tagging was really the only thing she was particularly good at, aside from skating. Most other Rudies were made fun of if they didn't have any actual talent beyond that. In Rhyth's case it wasn't just something that she was better than the others at but head and shoulders above the others at. She was still made fun of by other rudies (though not any of the GG's). It was always about either her being vivacious or about her being a bit concerned about her looks (she couldn't help it if she liked to look good), or her perceived lack of intelligence (the truth is she was just a bit naïve, as far as intelligence she was third behind Corn and Cube). It was never about her tagging skills, in that category she was peerless and therefore untouchable.

Seeing her paint over her own tag, however, gave Combo a strange sense of schadenfreude. _Cube's rubbin' off on me a little __**too**__ much._ That thought reminded him of just why he was out here in the first place; Cube bailed on him at work and didn't even so much as say "later," he'd have to talk to her about that later. He was on his lunch break and had no one to enjoy it with. That's when he saw Rhyth. He knew she had some time left on her community service, he just wasn't aware that she would be serving the community across the street from the diner he worked in. He quickly, but carefully, cooked an extra burger and fries grabbed a bottle of Coke he had been keeping in the fridge and went out to meet her. He asked one of her supervisors if she could take a break and he said that she had to paint over one last piece, the one that she painted.

Now that she was done she sat next to him and unwrapped the burger he'd made for her. Her mood was sullen; his was slightly amused though still empathetic. He placed a hand on her head and mussed her hair a little. "Ah!" She pulled away from him. They shared a glance just before she punched him in the chest. He pushed her, gently, nearly forcing her off of the rail. A smile forced itself onto her face. She placed the burger gently on her lap then used both of her hands to push him back, he hardly budged. Now they were both smiling and pushing each other.

Her smile started to fade and she looked at him questioningly. "Komubo-kun… why were you raughing at me?" Her English wasn't perfect but he never made fun of her (unlike Clutch). He liked that she tried to speak English around him to make him feel more comfortable (because his Japanese was bad, though she seemed to understand him when he spoke it in the same way he understood her English).

He scratched his cheek and smiled. "Uh… it's complicated."

"What wasu funny?"

"Uh… it was kinda funny to me that they were makin' you paint over your own piece."

She looked hurt. "That'su no funny."

"Like I said it's complicated… sometimes it's funny to see other people suffer." He put his arm around her. "Sorry."

(("Hey, Ryoko!")) Rhyth's supervisor called out to her.

(("What's up?"))

(("You've only got about three hours left… you've been really good about this so we're gonna let you go early. Bring your jumpsuit back to our offices by the end of the day or we're going to have to bill you. And don't tell anyone about this."))

(("Oh! Okay, thank you!")) She waved at him as he and her other supervisor got into the Public Works Dept. van and drove off. Combo watched them as they left then suddenly realized that he had left his arm around Rhyth for too long. He quickly removed it and almost instantly began to eat his own burger. She looked a little confused for a moment but soon decided to eat her burger.

Combo's jaw hung a little as he watched her eat. She was freaking wolfing the whole damn thing down. It seemed like she wasn't even breathing between swallows. He raised his palm to her. "Whoa… slow down lil' nigga. You're gonna choke on that muh-fuckah."

She stopped. He had confused her. "What'su this wordu 'mafaka'?"

"Huh? Oh… muh-fuckah… mother fucker."

She seemed angry now. (("Did you just call me a mother fucker?!"))

"No… I called your burger a muh-fuckah."

"_Nani?_"

"I'm usin' it as a substitute for the word burger."

She rolled her eyes upward and thought for a second. "Oh! Okei." She started eating again. Slowly this time. He turned away so he could laugh again without bringing her wrath upon himself. She came to a stop as she ate. "What'su the other wordu?"

_Huh? _"What other word?"

"The other wordu, rir-niga?" He laughed his ass off when she said that. She was confused. "What? What did I say?"

He stifled his laughter. He didn't want to risk hurting her feelings again. "Nigga."

"Niiga."

"No… nigga."

"That'su what I saidu!"

"No, no, no... You said neega. It's nigga… try not to put so much on the 'i' and hold down the 'a'."

"Nigaa?"

He shrugged. "Close enough, Cat-girl."

"What does it mean?"

Combo thought about that one. How could explain it without losing her? "It means a lot of things." Sometimes she would actually accept phrases like that as an answer because she knew from then on that she was walking on thin ice. But he had called her that, so this was not one of those times. He thought about how to give an answer that she'd understand but he had to choose his words carefully because her English, though coming along nicely, was still somewhat limited and his Japanese was only enough for basic communication (one of the reasons he never really talked to Beat or Soda much and the reason he always asked Rhyth to translate to Yoyo). _Stop over-thinkin' it, she's got a pretty good understandin' of the language._

Rhyth poked him. She seemed a bit concerned. "Are you okei? You were quiet for rong time."

He nodded. "Yeah, yeah… I'm good."

"So?"

"So what?"

She sighed. "What does it mean?"

"Oh… well…" He sighed and focused on her. "I'm goin' to try to explain this as best as I can, okay?" She nodded, never taking her eyes off of him. "It's got kind of a few different meanin's… callin' someone nigga can be the same as callin' them your friend. That's like when you say my nigga, it's like sayin' my boy or my dude like when I say it or when Garam says it. A lot of the time, though, it's just a general term for the any person you're talkin' 'bout. With me so far?" Rhyth nodded. "Cube says it sometimes but when she says it she only means it as a general term for a dumb ass. She never calls someone a nigga because it ain't got the same meanin' but she may start a sentence with nigga or 'that nigga' or 'this nigga' to address the person she's talkin' to or about. Garam hates it when she does that but I don't really have a problem with it because when she says it it's few and far in between and she understands that there are really only a few situations where it's okay to use it like that and what words to use with it because otherwise it's pretty racist."

Rhyth cocked her head to the side. "Racistu?"

"Yeah… that brings me to the final definition. The word itself is basically the word nigger. Nigger is a racist term for black people and… well, really anyone who someone might see as bein' of any 'inferior' race." Rhyth gasped. She didn't know that. Wait… could that have meant…

"What did you mean when you saidu that to me?"

"Huh? Oh…" he hadn't realized that she might take it the wrong way. "I was just usin' it instead of 'dude' because… y'know… you ain't a dude."

Rhyth breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh…"

"Rhyth?"

"Hai?"

"When it comes down to it it's not how you say it, it's what you mean when you say it. I don't mind if you say nigga because you're my friend… but don't call anyone a nigger… it's prob'ly the most offensive word in the English language," he looked down at her "it's also a fast way to lose friends. You understand?"

Rhyth nodded slowly. He faced the wall now. She understood perfectly but something was on her mind. "Komubo-kun?"

"Mm-hm?"

"Have you… ever been calledu a 'nigger?'"

He turned to her. He was still for a moment and then… he nodded. "Yeah… a few times. I got called it by a couple'a white boys back home when I got into a fight with'em about some dumb shit. I got called it in Europe several times… Hayashi called me a nigger once or twice, yelled it at me when I was runnin' from him 'cause he thought it'd get me to come back at him and he'd catch me, I almost fell for it too." He faced the wall again.

"How does–"

"It hurts… a lot. It makes you feel alone, out of place. Like you just don't belong… like you ain't human."

Rhyth hung her head a little. "I'm sorry…"

"Sorry for what? You didn't do anything."

"I…"

"It's okay… I'm okay."

"…Komubo-kun, is it hard to be bracku?"

"… Yeah, a little. People always expect you to act a certain way or they make assumptions based on the way you're actin'. If I sat here alone and thought for a while, about eight out of ten people who walk past me might assume I'm mad. If I speak properly and I show confidence people might assume I'm arrogant."

Rhyth shrugged. "Then don't."

Combo shook his head. "It's not that simple. If I don't think, if I don't speak properly, if I'm not confident then I play right into other stereotypes. I can't really win."

"Oh…"

Rhyth seemed saddened by this. Combo pulled her in closer to him. "Hey… it's nothin' for you to worry about though. Don't be like that."

Rhyth put her arm around his waist as best as she could. "I'm okei… it's just that I get sadu when my friendsu are sadu." She rested her head up against him and closed her eyes.

Combo draped his arm across her shoulders. He lifted his hand and rested it on her head. Maybe all of that stuff did bother him but it didn't make him sad. He couldn't be sad… not as long as she was his friend. A smirk appeared on his face as he looked down at her. _Rhyth… you're my nigga for real._

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_**That was pretty cool to write. I've wanted to do that for a long time. I guess there should be a warning somewhere about my use of the word nigga/nigger in this chapter but hey whatever. **_

_**Please review.**_


	27. Beating the House

_**I don't own JSRF…I **__**DO**__** own this fic so don't plagiarize… Time to get back to writing this fic… you really have no idea how much fun I'm having!**_

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**Answering Opportunities Knock:**_** Beating the house**_

_**(Yoyo/Gum, Yoyo/Rhyth at the end)**_

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"_**Yo, in she came with the same type game  
the type of girl givin out the fake cell phone and name;  
big fame, she like cats with big thangs  
jewels chip, money clip, phone flip, the six range.**_

_**  
I seen her on the ave, spotted her more than once;  
ass so fat that you could see it from the front.**_

_**  
She spot me like paparazzi; shot me a glance  
in that Cat Woman stance with the fat booty pants, Hot damn!**_

**-"Ms. Fat Booty" by Mos Def**

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**A. Kyestizzle**_**: Ramble much? That's gotta be the longest I've been able to make you talk. That's kind of a milestone for me. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter… I've just been kind of thinking about it lately, not a lot but enough. I'm glad I could finally get that off of my chest though. I guess putting my last series on hold is a good thing for me because it frees me up to use other ideas, but I still don't feel right about doing that (I'm a "finish what you start" kind of guy… of sorts).**_

_**Darth Avery: What's funny is that I haven't even really structured it yet. It's all confusing looking if you just check the dates and shit. Anyway I promise there'll be more of what you love: violence, nudity, vandalism, cussing and everybody screwing everybody… probably not in that order though. Also thanks for saying that this should be required reading for JSRF fans. **_

_**Bagatelle: I know you're pretty far back in this fic and probably won't see this for a while so let me just say "hi there and keep reading." Also thanks for the compliments and for reviewing three times in one day… though I was kind of hoping you'd do a "read/ review marathon." Anyway, glad to have you aboard and I hope you update "the Vinyl Umbrella" sometime real soon (7/20).**_

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_**I made a reference to this but I hadn't started working on it until now. I have to feel it out as I go along. Also, I decided that Yoyo doesn't know English so everything being said is in Japanese. I have no idea why I've been dealing with love so much lately… well… I suppose it makes the world go round or something gay like that.**_

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**Shibuya- September 18, 10:30pm**

"I hate being outdoors at this time of night," Rhyth moaned as she adjusted her backpack straps. "Couldn't we just go back and sleep in the garage?"

Clutch rolled his eyes and turned to her. "If you want to go back to the garage then that's fine with me… I don't exactly recall askin' you two to come with me."

Clutch's words made Rhyth bristle. "Don't get slapped, little boy."

Clutch's eye twitched when she called him that. He was older than she was and yet she the audacity to call him a little boy. He got right into her face. "Who the fuck are you calling a little boy?!"

Rhyth pressed a finger into his chest. "**You**, little b-" Yoyo skated right into her forcing her to bump into Clutch. She whipped around. "Yoyo, watch where you're going!"

Yoyo looked at her blankly for a moment. Eventually he came back to his body. "Huh?" He hadn't really been paying attention to either of them until he ran into her.

Rhyth and Clutch looked at each other then back at Yoyo. "You alright little dude?" Clutch asked. His voice carried little if any concern.

Yoyo nodded.

Clutch shrugged and kept skating. He pulled one of his arms out from under the strap and let his backpack hang off of his shoulder. Rhyth looked at Yoyo for about a minute longer but eventually she also shrugged and proceeded down the street after Clutch.

Yoyo stood there. He sighed and slowly skated after them. As he went down the street he looked up to the night sky. _I wonder if it'll rain…_

Yoyo had a crush on Rhyth. He had it ever since the day he met her. The day Combo found her in Rokkaku-dai Heights and brought her to the garage. They all figured out real quick that he had a crush on Rhyth (even Garam, who had been the last person to join before Yoyo was kidnapped by the Rhinos). It seemed like everyone knew, well everyone except Rhyth. He didn't know what to say to her the first time so he ended up tripping over his own tongue trying to talk to her. It was funny to everybody else but it just made him feel awkward.

There was something about her… he never quite figured out what that something was but that didn't mean it wasn't there. As more girls joined the gang that intangible something seemed to really set her apart from them. It wasn't that he didn't like the other girls, they were all hotties and he had a reason to like all of them.

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Boogie had taken care of Potts while he was missing and even after he came back. One day he left the garage and returned to find Potts missing. He spent the whole day looking for him only to find out that she had taken him to the vet. Apparently Potts had gotten into a scuffle with a raccoon that he had found in his kennel. Boogie killed the raccoon and took it with her so they could perform an autopsy to find out whether or not it had rabies. It turned out that it didn't have them. Yoyo remembered her being just as relieved as he was. She seemed to be the only other GG that cared about his dog as much as he did. There was some other stuff that he liked about her. First and foremost was that she was French (well, Haitian… but she was **from** France); he had no idea that there were black people in France. He also liked that she could read palms… and that she carried around a cross made of human finger bones… and a shrunken head. She let him play with it once; it was all leathery and freaky looking. She said that she'd get him one too if he wanted one. She hugged him once. He was having a bad day and she could tell. She walked right up, wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him until he felt better… then she let go when she felt his erection growing. She laughed though and she didn't tell anybody about it. She only hugged him a few more times after that. He liked her hugs. 

There was Jazz. Jazz was pretty cool. She messed with him a lot though. She would either hit him with some random object or play mind games with him. There was a whole day where the only thing she said to him was "is it safe?" Oh she would actually converse with everyone else but whenever she was addressing him that was all she'd say.

"_Yo Jazz, what's up?" "Is it safe?" _

"_Why are you following me around like that?" "Is it safe?" _

"_Yo! Why are you doing this to me?" "Is it safe?"_

What really bugged him was that she was deadpan each time she said it. She could have been laughing her ass off just moments before but she would immediately blank her face out and say it. There was one time when Garam had just paid him back some money he owed him. Jazz walked right up and took it from him.

"_Why'd you take my money?" _

"_You're so weak and insignificant, I could."_

Yoyo cringed at the thought of "Kick Yoyo in the Shins Day." She got everyone to go along with it. By the end of the day when everyone else had cleared out of the garage Yoyo was left on the couch rubbing his bruised shins. Jazz snuck up on him and scared him. She pulled her leg back like she was going to kick him again… but she stopped in mid-swing. She knelt down and taped ice packs to his shins. Then she smiled at him and kissed his forehead just before she left for the day. Then there was the other time that they were left alone in the garage. She took him to the movies. He slept through the movie (a shame because he actually wanted to see it). She told him to duck down in his seat and they waited until the movie restarted… she even explained the parts he didn't understand for him. When they left the theatre she hugged him. She said it was because he was such good company and because he had been a good sport about putting up with all of her shit. She still occasionally hugged him. He liked her hugs too.

Cube hugged him too. It was weird to think about because he couldn't really recall what made her do it… she didn't even like to be touched. Still, she hugged him a few times. The first time was in the Fortified Residential Zone. She got him out of the cage and hugged him and released him before anyone else saw her do it. She said it was just because she was happy to see him… she was glad that he wasn't hurt. She hugged him again the day after she and Dr. Kim fixed up Corn. Yoyo was a bit depressed and she hugged him, not to cheer him up… just to make sure that he knew everything would be alright. When she would actually talk to him she would always ask him about himself. She asked about how he became a rudie, about why. She asked where he found Potts. She asked him about the others (what he thought about them)… about his parents. He told her that his Father had walked out when he was seven. His mother threw him out when he was eight, she put him in an orphanage. He told her that the last thing she said to him was "You aren't worth shit and you'll never be shit… just like your father." That really upset her but she never really said why. Thinking about his mother's words made him cry… and she hugged him again. She held onto him, but this time she was crying too. He guessed that she may have had some issues with her own parents that she needed to work through. There was one time where she asked him about his philosophy.

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"…_My… philosophy?"_

"_Yeah. Everyone has a philosophy."_

"… _I don't think I get it, yo…"_

"_What do you think is the meaning of life? Why are we here?"_

"… _Do I have to answer you now?"_

"… _I'll give you until the end of the week."_

Yoyo thought about it long and hard. He went off on his own every day for the entire week so he could think about it in peace. It took him some time but eventually he had an answer for her.

"_So?"_

"_I thought about it, yo."_

"_You thought about it… and?"_

"_I guess I don't have a philosophy."_

"_You don't?"_

"… _I never thought life really had any meaning. I've always thought life was really just a big game, yo…Yo, it's like going to a casino. Life is the game, the world is the casino and you're the sucker who thinks he can beat the house. What you and everyone else don't realize is that the house always wins. The game we're playing is really all about outlasting the other players, not winning some prize. The thing is, even if you do outlast them you get the same thing as the guy that went down first. Life is a game that gives the illusion of having winners but in reality everybody loses… and as for why we're here… Yo… I guess we're just entertaining God until he finds something better to do."_

"…"

"…"

"_Yoyo?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_That's a pretty bleak way of looking at things."_

"_Hey, you're the one who asked."_

She hugged him again. She said that she thought he could use a hug.

* * *

Funny thing was that she never let him ask about her. She never really told him much about herself and he didn't know much about her to begin with. Even before she actually joined he had only met with her a few times and Clutch was always present, it was all business. When she did join she sort of gravitated towards Combo and Garam so he never got to really talk to her about herself, if she wanted to speak to him she did so of her own accord. Lately she might be around him only every once in a while … all the same he liked her hugs, somehow they made him feel good on the inside. 

It was then that it occurred to Yoyo that every girl he knew had hugged him at one point or another. Boogie (around his torso and arms; full frontal; his head to her chest), Jazz (tightly from behind; cheek to cheek), Cube (gently around his neck from the side or from behind; cheek to cheek), Rhyth (only once… around his waist)… and even Gum (every variety of hug… usually cheek to cheek but sometimes head to breast and usually followed by a forehead kiss). Actually she hugged him a lot. She was always generous with displays of affection. She was always hugging him, kissing his forehead, stroking his hair… sometimes he would fall asleep on the couch and wake up with his head resting on her lap. She would be rubbing his head and smiling down on him. She even gave him his sunglasses. She said it was because his eyes were creepy (his eyes were quite narrow which gave them a sinister look) but he didn't think she really meant that. He knew that she was notorious for being… well… a slut. He knew she was notorious for having an explosively violent temper. He didn't care. She was never violent with him. She treated him… well… the way he imagined a **decent** mother would treat her child. She was warm and loving and would do almost anything for him.

"Yoyo!"

Yoyo's mind stopped wondering. He hadn't realized that Clutch and Rhyth had been waiting for him on the other side of the street; it seemed that he missed the light. _Damn…_ He waited for it to change again, but they had left by the time it did. He crossed the street and stood there for a moment, he hadn't seen where they had gone. _Great… now what do I do?_ This wasn't the first time those two had ditched him and it didn't seem like it would be the last.

He and Rhyth were going with Clutch because he'd found an abandoned building they could stay in for the night… it seemed that Clutch actually had other ideas about it… it seemed like he intended it to be a place for he and Rhyth to stay… alone. Yoyo was aware that Clutch was attracted to Rhyth and vice versa. If he managed to get her alone his chances with her would go straight down the crapper. So what the hell was Yoyo going to do now? In the back of his mind… well in the whole of his mind he was aware that he didn't actually stand a chance against him. Clutch was smarter than he was and stronger and… well… he had a way with women that Yoyo just didn't have. On top of that he was eighteen (legally an adult) and actually had sexual experience. Yoyo was a sixteen-year-old virgin. Yoyo didn't think he really stood a chance against the guy. Well… if that's what was going to happen there wasn't anything he could do now. All he could do was hope that it didn't go that far.

He turned the corner and headed towards Dogenzaka. He might be able to get back to the garage before midnight. Maybe somebody else would be there.

**Dogenzaka Hill, Front Street- 11:15pm**

_Damn… if I could have just kept up… _If he could have caught up to them, or been paying attention for that matter, maybe he would have been sure that they weren't screwing right now. If he had been there then he was sure nothing would have happened because Rhyth wouldn't have allowed herself to succumb to Clutch's advances. She wouldn't have done anything with him period. He was sure of it. _Stay positive yo, stay positive…_ Yoyo's mind continued to wonder. What were they doing? Where were they? What was going to happen tomorrow? Was this the end for him? Yoyo was so wrapped up in his misery that he didn't even see where he was going… until he ran into someone.

"Hey! Why don'cha watch where you're goin' ya little fuck?!" Yoyo's head tilted upwards, it was a Doom Rider… several Doom Riders… they were drinking. _Fuck._

"My bad, yo." He tried to walk around him so he could get out of there and avoid trouble.

The Doom Rider grabbed Yoyo's shoulder and pulled him back in front of him. "Whoa, whoa, whoa… where're ya goin'? 'My bad' isn't really much of an apology…"

Yoyo shrugged. "What do you expect me to say?"

The Doom Rider stroked his chin. "I expect ya to… get down on your knees and beg for my forgiveness." The other Doom Riders laughed.

"What?!" This was bullshit.

"Ya need to learn proper manners… get down on your knees, beg me to forgive ya and ya might just be allowed to pass by here. "

Yoyo got the message loud and clear, either he did what he was told or he was going to get jumped. _This is all I need._ Yoyo took a deep breath and got onto his knees. He bowed his head. "Please forgive me for bumpin' into you. Please let me pass."

"**Allow** me to pass."

Yoyo looked up. "Oh come on!" Beer rained down onto his face. _That tears it!_ Yoyo got up, punched him in the stomach and ran. They rushed after him. He didn't think he could outrun them so he decided that it would be best to head for the hills. Gum had told him once that he shouldn't try to fight more than one opponent at a time. Instead he should try to find a way to use his environment against them. In this case it would be easy: the Doom Riders were clearly inebriated so they wouldn't be able to handle the slopes and curves of the hills… some probably wouldn't make the initial drop into the hills.

_One way to find out!_ Yoyo could usually make it across the gap to the other building; this time he shorted his jump on purpose. He stuck his skates out and slid down the wall pushing off about ten feet from the ground. As he got around the building he saw that two of the Doom Riders (eight) landed and their skates slid out from under them; he'd expected more of them to fall. No matter. He hit the rail that curved around the first hill. Two of them tried to get on after him but one of them fell and accidentally took the other one out with him. Two others were hot on him (on the ground) and the last two went down the side of the hill to cut him off. When he got off of the rail he immediately boosted, rocketing at his would-be human barricade, and clothes-lined them both. One of them stayed down the other got up seconds later and was after him with the other two. When Yoyo got to the second hill he tried to simply go down the side. Unfortunately the Doom Riders had the same idea with a noted difference: they **boosted** down the side. They caught him halfway down and rammed him, sending him crashing to the ground. This was it… it was all over for him… he thought he could beat the house and he lost.

The Doom Riders stood over him. One of them sat on him to keep him pinned while another smashed a beer bottle on the ground; he was holding it underhand and raised it into the air. _Game over._ He shut his eyes. Within mere seconds he would be splattered all over the asphalt.

**Wham!**

The Doom Rider that had been sitting on top of him was knocked off.

**Wham!**

The one that was holding the bottle was face down on the ground holding his head.

**Whoosh… Whoosh…**

Whatever it was missed on two swings. "Fuck this… I'm outta here!" The third Doom Rider got his guys back to their feet and they ran. Yoyo heard them skating away as fast as they could. _What made them kick rocks so easily?_ Yoyo's body ached from tumbling down the hill but he managed to sit up…

… And there was Gum standing over him with a baseball bat. "How you doin' Yoh-kun?" she asked him. She almost always called him Yoh-kun. She liked calling him by his first name, Yoh.

But he didn't get to think about that. He was exhausted. He laid on his back again and passed out… and he could swear he saw her smile when he did it.

* * *

_**Ah, the dangers of living on the street… this is set before they find the apartment building. Anyway… the next chapter is going to have a bit of sex and the chapter after that is going to be all… (sigh) heart warming… that could suck for me. I think this was a good start to a story that I wanted to do for a while though. What do you think? Review, damn your eyes (obscure "Blazing Saddles" joke)!**_ **_

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_**


	28. Lady Luck

_**I don't own JSRF…I **__**DO**__** own this fic so don't plagiarize… Time to get back to writing this fic… on the grind again!**_

* * *

**Answering Opportunities Knock:**_** Lady Luck**_

_**(Yoyo/Gum, Yoyo/Rhyth at the end)**_

**_"My love life was getting so bland;  
there are only so many ways I can make love with my hand.  
Sometimes it makes me want to laugh;  
sometimes I want to take my toaster in the bath.  
Because when I'm with you there's nothing I wouldn't do  
I just want to be your only one  
I'm grasping out at straws thinking back to what I saw  
that night on the floor when we were all alone." _**

**-"M+M's" by Blink 182 (shut up)**

**Shickystyle**_**: Well, hey, if you find anything that's broke you know what to do. I'm always having fun writing this, how much fun I'm having is variable. I enjoy writing because I get to exercise my creativity and I love reading reviews and even seeing my hit counter go up because it makes me feel good to know that people are checking out my work. **_

"**Tag" Underwood: **_**Sup. Tag Underwood sounds like a rapper's double alias (Carnate Chronicler a.k.a. Tag Underwood). Thanks for the review and for the adds. I sent you a message that answered your questions three. I shall indeed keep up the good work.**_

**Darth Avery:**_** Actually Yoyo's the only one that gets hugs, lucky bastard. I didn't want every non-Japanese character to be American, it's way too obvious… I think it's good to mix it up every now and then, it makes it more fun.**_

* * *

_**I decided to let the sex be implied in this chapter so, yeah… don't bitch… oddly enough Gum is, once again, a participant… truthfully, I don't know how that keeps happening, seems like a recurring theme with me doesn't it?**_

_**Also I know I usually give Gum an American pattern of speech but I've decided that when she speaks Japanese (as she's forced too when speaking with Yoyo) that it would make more sense for her to speak properly… sort of.**_

* * *

**???- ???**

Yoyo's eyes slowly opened. He was staring up at a ceiling. He turned his head to the side and saw that he was surrounded by pastel green walls. The floor was covered in white carpeting. He looked into a body-sized mirror that was propped against the wall causing him to finally notice that he was in a bed and wrapped up in blankets. He was in a bedroom. When he pulled the blankets off he saw that he was in underwear and a large, black t-shirt that said something in English (cutie). _Where are my clothes? _He swung his legs out of the bed and placed his feet on the carpet. It'd been a while since the last time he actually felt carpet under his feet… he loved it. He looked at a nearby alarm clock, _11:50pm._

**Thump-thump…**

He held his head. _I took a pretty bad fall…_ he struggled to remember exactly what happened after the fall. _I fell and… and… and they were going to kill me and… someone saved me… someone…Gum! Gum saved me!_ He figured it out now. He was in Gum's house, _but how did I get here?_ He stood up and scratched his ass. He headed for the door. He opened the door and started down a short hallway. He could hear the T.V. going but when he got to the entrance to the living room he saw no one. He could hear something behind him… running water. He turned around and saw a door that led to what he assumed to be the bathroom. _She must be in the shower._ Something in the back of his mind told him to peek in and take a look but his common sense told him that he didn't want to be running down the street being chased by an angry Gum (because if it came to that she'd murder him). He decided to just head back to her bed and wait for her to come and check on him. As he re-entered her bedroom he could swear he could hear her humming in the shower.

* * *

**Gum's Bedroom- September 19, 12:15am**

"Yoyo? Yoh-kun? C'mon Yoh-kun, time to get up." Her sweet voice gently pulled him out of his dream and into reality. His eyes opened again to see Gum just inches away from his face. She was wrapped in a bath towel and her hair was still wet… she was still wet. She looked serious at first but once he was fully awake she smiled. She pulled the blankets off of him and helped him out of the bed. "C'mon, you have to take a shower." She handed him a towel and a wash cloth and guided him to the bathroom. "You have to wait for a minute if you want hot water. The body wash and shampoo are on the shower rack… clean behind your ears and everything, okay?" He nodded. She closed the door behind him. What could he do? He turned on the water and waited for it to get hot.

Gum went back to her room and dried off. She only had the one towel so as soon as she finished toweling off her body she used it to dry her hair. When she was done she discarded the towel and started to put lotion on her skin. When she was done with that she turned to look at herself in her mirror. This was actually the first time in a long time that she'd been able to look at herself in the mirror. She hadn't been home in a few weeks. She probably wouldn't have even been there if her mother hadn't have asked her to watch the condo.

Her mother (a nurse) was going to be pulling a triple shift at the hospital she was working in and wouldn't be off until midnight tomorrow. Taro, her step-father, was on a business trip in London for the past three days and wouldn't be back for another two… he had been reluctant to allow her to watch things for them.

Gum brought her attention back to the mirror. She quietly assessed herself. She checked the scale in the bathroom after she got out of the shower and it said that she was at 141lbs. The last time she checked it said that she weighed 136lbs. She had gained five pounds. It wasn't too noticeable though, she was just a bit thicker around the waist than she was the last time she actually checked (she didn't make it a habit of checking up on these types of things). She didn't have any flab or chunks hanging off of her and it wasn't jiggling when she moved or anything like that… it was muscle mass, she didn't have much fat on her (it was mostly in her ass and boobs). She got a better look at her waist; her abs looked amazing. She used to be skinny, really skinny, and it bugged her because she looked like a damn Barbie doll (at the time she had large C-cups and virtually no ass. The fact that her breasts were still growing was also a problem for her because when they finally hit D size they made her back hurt. They were about a mid-size D now, and had since stopped growing, but they still caused her some soreness). She was glad that she'd gained a few of pounds. It made her look a bit more… human. The added muscle would also give her more back support so her boobs would cause her less, if any, back trouble. She pressed her breasts together then giggled and let them fall. The only problem with having big boobs, beyond added back stress, was that when she got old they'd hang down to her ankles. _Can't have that_, _I'll get a breast reduction when I get old_. She flexed her arm and saw that her bicep was a little larger than it was before. She turned around, her ass and thighs looked a little bigger, that definitely made her happy because she didn't want to have pancake butt like her mom. She saw that her thighs had become quite muscular. She touched her hip and stood sideways in the mirror. _I wonder if my hips'll grow any… I'll have to measure myself later._ She noticed that she hadn't grown much taller, maybe a quarter-inch (and that's a generous estimate). She was about 5' 11" and wanted very badly to break the six-foot barrier. Her dad had been very tall, around 6' 4"; she always wanted to be tall like him but it seemed that her mother's genes were fighting against her to the bitter end. There was a knock at the door. _Oh crap!_ It started to open but she rushed over and held it shut. "I'm not dressed yet."

"Still? I've been in the shower for twenty minutes," Yoyo said through the door.

"Just give me another couple of minutes, okay?"

She heard him sigh. "Okay."

She rushed over to her dresser and started going through her things. In the end she decided on a large green t-shirt and a pair of cotton panties (the t-shirt would cover the panties but she didn't want to wear silk and risk giving him a free show). She slid on some cotton socks.

She opened the door to find Yoyo standing right outside of her room with a towel around his waist. She hadn't seen him with his shirt off before tonight; the little guy was pretty ripped… lean, but ripped. _Little guy?_ Yoyo was only a four inches shorter than she was. He out-weighed her though, by about fifteen pounds now.

"Gum-senpai?" That was what he called her privately or when he was depressed.

"Huh?"

"You're staring at me."

"What? Oh… sorry."

"It's okay but… um… where are my clothes?"

"I washed them. The washer and dryer are outside and down the hall… I only just put them in the dryer before I woke you up though so they're not ready for you to wear yet."

"Oh… did you… wash my underwear?"

"Yes, of course."

Yoyo held up the boxers he'd been sleeping in. "So… whose are these then?"

"They're mine… I sometimes wear boxers."

Yoyo averted his gaze as he started to blush. _I've been wearing Gum's underwear this whole time and I didn't know it?_

"Yoh-kun what's wrong?" She leaned in to get a good look at him.

"N-nothin'… I… how long until my stuff's dry? I wanted to go back to the garage."

"You aren't going back out there, it's…" she checked the clock "12:40 in the morning! No, you're staying right here tonight."

Yoyo wasn't sure if that was such a good idea, his gut told him that if he made the wrong move he'd be eating pizza smoothies for a long, long time. "But…"

"No buts! You're staying over with me tonight."

Yoyo sighed in defeat. Suddenly his stomach growled. He blushed again.

Gum chuckled. "When's the last time you ate?"

"Last night."

Gum's eyes widened. "You haven't eaten in twenty-four hours?!"

"About."

She shook her head. "Christ… get dressed." When he had done so she led him to the kitchen.

* * *

Gum let Yoyo pick out what he wanted to eat. He didn't know what he wanted to eat; he didn't usually have such a variety of foods to choose from. Gum chose for him. After looking around through the refrigerator and the shelves she discovered that she had all of the necessary ingredients for nachos (tortilla chips, salsa, cheese, ground beef, onions, tomatoes, taco sauce and guacamole). She made enough for both of them (well actually she only had about a quarter of it so Yoyo got to eat the rest). When they finished Gum washed the dishes and pans she'd used as Yoyo went to the couch where he assumed he'd be sleeping for the night and began to watch T.V. He stretched himself out on the couch. There wasn't really anything on. He heard the lights click off in the kitchen and sat up to give Gum some room on the couch. They just sat there for a while. There wasn't anything good on so they just watched a movie in silence. 

Gum finally broke the silence. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I can tell when you're depressed, just tell me what's wrong."

Yoyo knew she wouldn't let him off the hook so he just took a deep breath and just said it. "I like Rhyth…"

"No shit," she replied sarcastically.

"No listen… I like Rhyth, but she likes Clutch. I don't know what to do about it… I don't even think she knows how I feel about her."

Gum turned her head to him. "So… tell her…"

"I… I don't know what to say to her. I mean… how do you tell someone that you've loved them since the day you met them?"

Gum looked at him for a moment. That was a pretty hard to answer. "Well what's so great about her?"

"Huh?" Yoyo didn't expect her to say that.

"Don't get me wrong, I like Rhyth, but why's she so special to you? Why don't you try one of the other girls?"

Yoyo snorted. "Please… they aren't interested in me…"

"Well do you really know that?"

"…"

"Yoyo answer me… do you **know** they aren't interested or do you **think** you know?"

"I… I… uh…"

Gum sighed. "That's just what I thought."

Yoyo crossed his legs on the couch and looked down at his feet. "Well, what would any of them see in me… and anyway, why would they choose me over any of the other guys? Gum, I've never had sex, never kissed a girl, never even had a girlfriend… every girl I've ever known thought I was too stupid or weird or ugly or a liar or a pervert… and now the one girl that I really like… she's going after some other guy… some guy I can't even compete with…" tears started to well up in his eyes "and the sad thing is even if I tried to compete with him I know I just be delaying the inevitable… because I know she's going to choose him over me hands down!" He stopped and gritted his teeth as the tears came streaming out of his eyes. Gum had never seen him hurt like this. She'd seen him depressed before but she'd never seen him like this. She did the only thing she **could** do for him.

Gum slapped him.

She slapped him hard across the face. He held his cheek and continued to stare at his feet. She grabbed him by his chin and turn him to face her. He could see anger and sorrow mixed on her face.

"Yoh, what the hell's wrong with you?! Of course you can compete with Clutch… fuck man, you can compete with every other guy we know! You've been going on and on about how you don't know if Rhyth likes you but did you ever stop to think about how much Jazz and Boogie and even Cube like you? Did you even notice? No, you didn't because you let Cupid blindfold you and have you run around in circles in the daytime with a flashlight trying to catch **her**! Dude… Boogie thinks you're cute, Cube at least thinks you're interesting and Jazz absolutely adores you! They think you're smart and funny and cute and charming… and so do I. Shit man, so what if you're kind of a perv, it's not like you're some kind of horn dog. You totally have the whole silver tongue shit going for you too. But you don't realize that you don't have to be as smart as Corn, or as big as Combo, or a fuckin' mystery like Soda or even as 'sexually experienced' as Beat, Clutch and Garam. You just have to be you! Your problem isn't that girls don't like you, it's that you sell yourself short! So what if Rhyth might reject you? There are three other girls that you can make a play for… so tell her how you feel and if she **still** hasn't figured out that Clutch is really just a **cock hound** you can move on to **bigger** and **better** things… and I do mean that quite **literally**. This shit shouldn't even be enough to **faze** you… you've dealt with much, **much** worse."

Yoyo was quiet for a while. He was still looking at Gum. She released his jaw. She sighed and got up off of the couch. It seemed like she was about to head to her room and leave him to think about her words… but she stopped after only a step and just stood there. She heaved another sigh and looked over her shoulder at him; he wasn't looking at her anymore, he had his chin in his hands. She went back to him and sat down inches away from him. She wrapped her arms around him, one around his shoulders and the other around his head, pressing him into her chest. He was a little sensitive; she hadn't meant to snap at him. She kissed the top of his head. _Say something to him._ "Y'know, I bet you'd look pretty good with a Mohawk…" He twisted his face out of her chest and looked up at her uncomprehendingly. She loosened her grip on him and let go of his head. "If you just buzzed down the sides so that the hair was really low… " she rubbed the sides of his head "and if you spiked the middle up buzz saw style…" she removed his glasses "you could probably pull it off without having to wear the glasses." She smiled at him.

He had looked directly at her face before and yet this was the first time he noticed that she was wearing glasses. She removed them and put on his shades. "You wear glasses?"

She continued to smile as she raised her eyebrow. "You only just noticed?" He nodded. She almost giggled. She removed his shades, placing them in his hand, and replaced her own glasses. "I have a stigmatism. I need glasses… I usually wear contacts, but I prefer glasses at home."

He looked down at his sunglasses and back up to her… somehow she was much prettier in her glasses. She leaned back and rested her arms along the back of the couch. She was looking ahead at the television and he was looking at her. He let his eyes travel up and down her body, just once. She was absolutely stunning. Her attire only added to it… a t-shirt and panties…

"Yoh-kun, are you alright?" She was looking down at him.

He choked on his own throat. "Uh… yeah, yo… I just… I'm tired y'know?"

She leaned forward and pulled her arms back to stretch; he chest stuck out further than usual. She yawned and covered her mouth. She said something in English ("Yeah, I guess I'm feelin' it too."). She got up and he laid himself down on the couch rolling onto his side. "What're you doing?"

Yoyo lifted his head. "Um… I was about to go to sleep."

"Not here… you have to sleep in my room."

"What? Why?"

"Because my mom could come back early and, if she does, she'll catch you sleeping here and I'll get in trouble. You aren't supposed to be here so if she does come home early or get fired or whatever and you're in my room there's a better chance of me being able to sneak you out."

Yoyo let his eyes travel around the room as he attempted to grasp what she just said. "What?" She sighed and led him to her bedroom.

_This ain't good… don't do anything stupid… think what would Corn do… wait no that's terrible, Corn would try to fuck her. Aww…okay… think what would Beat… no he'd try to fuck her too. Don't I know anyone that wouldn't try to fuck her?!_ No… he didn't know anyone who wouldn't try to fuck her. She was right… damn near every guy they knew was a cock hound. _Maybe nothing'll happen… maybe she's got a roll-out mattress or something…_ He almost convinced himself that she did have a roll-out or an inflatable or a sleeping bag… she didn't. When they got to her room she went straight to the bed and crawled under her sheets and blankets. She folded them back and patted the spot on the bed next to her. She smiled at him again. Yoyo swallowed and approached but soon stopped. "Shouldn't I sleep on the floor or something?"

"You have a chance to sleep in a bed and you suddenly want to sleep on the floor?"

"Well… I…"

She sighed. "Just get in…"

He sighed and did as he was told. She pulled the blankets over him. She crawled over him so she could turn off the lamp on her desk. He quietly gulped again. He shut his eyes tight. _Think un-sexy thoughts… think un-sexy thoughts… think about how she'll kick your ass if you try anything on her. Don't do anything that… uh… Gandhi wouldn't do… yeah Gandhi…that'll work…_

* * *

Yoyo's eyes open and the first thing he saw was Mahatma Gandhi drilling Gum. _**"Ahh… yeah… yeah… oh… Gandhi… god damn… fuck me! Fuck the shit outta me you anti-imperialist, non-violent protestin' mother fucker!!"**_

Gandhi was holding Gum up by her butt and pressing her against the wall. _**"Oh yes. Yes, that is very good, yes…"**_

Yoyo was appalled. _**"No… why Gandhi?! You let me down dude!!"**_

* * *

Yoyo's eyes shot open just as Gandhi came. He found Gum embracing him in her sleep. He pouted softly. _Ignore the urges, yo… don't think about how hot she is or how soft her skin is… or how she smells like strawberries… or how she's always so kind to you… or hugging you… or kissing you… or how at this very moment her t-shirt and panties are the only things separating you from her beautiful body._ Her leg moved and now her thigh was crossing his hips. That was all he could stand. Yoyo couldn't fight it anymore. As he looked up at the alarm clock and saw that it was only 2:20 in the morning he felt his hand suddenly emerge in the boxers he was sleeping in… _please forgive me for this Yasu-chan._

* * *

**Gum's Bed- 2:47am**

He felt it all slowly release… the tension was gone. He felt terrible though. Gum was obviously very beautiful, she could be very seductive, she had such a great body… but she was also his closes friend. She was always so kind to him, so gentle with him, so… so caring. He never wanted to catch himself thinking about her this way. He never wanted her to be a fantasy to him. But… this time he couldn't help himself. He felt as bad as he could ever possibly feel. He was on the verge of tears. He whispered several quiet apologies to her. He begged for her forgiveness repeatedly.

He suddenly felt her grip tighten slightly. He felt her lips press gently against his cheek. "Yoh-kun… you got some on my leg." His eyes went wide and he froze in fear… eventually he started to tremble. "Why are you shaking?" he turned slowly to see her face. In the dark he could just make out her face. She wasn't mad… she actually looked… concerned. "Are you cold?" That was enough for him. He threw his clean hand around her and buried his face in her chest.

He was really crying now. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I just… I–"

"You couldn't stop yourself."

He looked up at her as she said it. "Gum… I–"

She kissed his forehead and tightened her hold on him. "Y'know what Yoh-kun… I bet if you weren't a virgin this wouldn't have been so hard for you. What do you think?"

He wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Wha… what do you mean? You want to have sex, with **me**?"

Gum released her hold on him, pulled herself into a sitting position and turned on the lamp. He could see her smiling at him and in an instant she pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it onto the floor. "Don't think of it as sex. Think of it as a life lesson… I'm going to teach you everything you need to know about it." The smile never left her face… not as he gawked at her body (and her words), not as she hugged him… not even as she turned off the light.

* * *

_**In the next chapter Gum is going to try and help Yoyo work up the courage to go for Rhyth. I think that'll end the series but I'm not sure.**_

_**Later.**_

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	29. Jackpot

_**I don't own JSRF…I **__**DO**__** own this fic so don't plagiarize… Knock, knock… who the fuck is bangin' at my door? Is it abstract commercial or hardcore? Better know what the fuck they lookin' for, 'cause they don't want more!**_

* * *

**Answering Opportunities Knock:**_** Jackpot**_

_**(Yoyo/Gum, Yoyo/Rhyth at the end)**_

"_**I stay sweet as a nut, sweet like Tropicana;  
when I have head, your head splits like banana.  
You're not ready for this girl,  
you better send your best boys, 'cause this is Captain Rascal!  
More destructive and troublesome than ever,  
I'll probably be doing this, probably forever;  
fellas wanna stop me dont probably come together,  
it's probable they'll stop me, probably never…"**_

"**Fix Up, Look Sharp" by Dizzee Rascal**

"**Tag" Underwood and Darth Avery: **_**I needed someone I could use that wouldn't be horribly offensive and would be unexpected… Gandhi just sort of popped into my head and I ran with it. I wanted so badly for Yoyo to say that whoever it was let him down (because it would have been against their character to have sex with Gum) and when I decided on Gandhi it just sort of came together.**_

**Assassin K.**_**: Heh, heh… oh don't worry, they keep it a secret… you're right though, if they ever found out about what happened between Gum and Yoyo they'd be pissed at her. Sorry this took so long to update.**_

**Bagzy: **_**Thanks again for the idea. It actually helped me very much in the approach I chose to take for the ending of this chapter.**_

**Noh-face _What an odd coincidence. I'm glad you've found something to like about this and yes, you're right, I am a bro. L.A. nigga what!! Seriously, though... I'm glad you like this and I hope i'll see a few more reviews from you... and I'm afraid you'll have to wait for "Monster Island" I'm still working some stuff out and haven't gotten a chance to really get started on it. 'Til next time._**

* * *

_**Before I forget, let me just say that there's a story posted in this category called "The Vinyl Umbrella" that should be required reading. My friend Bagatelle is responsible for posting that wonderful story, as well as several other one-shots that are worth a look. Please check her stuff out and, if it's not too much trouble, leave her some reviews. Oh, and please check out my other two stories that are posted. **_

_**Sorry for the wait. 2525 hits. If you're just joining us allow me to bring you up to speed: Yoyo just got some. Let's keep the story going.**_

* * *

**Gum's Bedroom- September 19, 9:30am**

Gum's clock-radio went off blasting "Baby-T" and pulling Yoyo out of his half-sleep half-coma. He stuck his hand out to turn it off but he couldn't reach it. Suddenly he was forcefully tossed onto his back and found himself pinned down by… something very soft and warm. It was soft and warm and… it was crushing his head. He couldn't open his eyes, only grit his teeth. After a mere few seconds he heard the radio go silent and the crushing force on his head suddenly lessened to nothing. _… That must've been Gum. _He opened his eyes and rolled over onto his side. He saw her. She was mere inches away from his face with that same smile she always had for him. She reached up and ran her fingers gently through his hair. For the first time Yoyo realized that he was sweaty, hungry and dehydrated. He yawned and let a smile slowly cross his face.

Gum sat up and ran her hand through her own hair, pulling it out of her eyes and behind her ears. She leaned back a little and rested on her hand as she looked back down at Yoyo. She continued to look at down at him. She looked down at him and then she… giggled. She let her other hand caress his cheek. "Not bad Yoh-kun, not bad at all." She giggled and mussed his hair just before she crawled over him and out of the bed. She went to her dresser to put on some underwear. Even after what they had just done he didn't think it would be right to look at her in the nude. He rolled onto his side and faced away from her. "I'll be right back Yoh-kun…" she left the room and came back with a towel, "take a shower okay?"

"Uh… yeah, okay… didn't I take one last night?" he asked.

She laughed. "You're supposed to bathe regularly Yoyo." She tossed a towel at him, landing it on his head. "Wash your hair too."

He waited until he heard her leave the room before he slid out of her bed and wrapped the towel around himself. As he left her room he heard the sound of the front door closing. He shrugged and entered the bathroom. He ran the water in the shower, waiting for it to get warm, and for the first time he noticed that his cock was tired and spongy. He poked it and recoiled in pain. _What'd she do to me? Ow!_ _Why did I agree to let her "teach" me?!_ He sighed and continued to clutch himself.

There was a knock on the door. "Yoyo? Are you in the shower? I just got your clothes, they're in my room, okay?"

"Okay… thank you." Well all that aside he did enjoy it… and it wasn't like she was trying to hurt him. She just wouldn't let him stop for the entire three hours. In truth he had to count himself lucky that he actually got some instead of her kicking his ass over what he'd done in her bed. But still… part of him still didn't feel right. Yoyo stretched and immediately cried out in pain. _Ow… my back!!_

* * *

Yoyo slid his lime hoody on over his burnt-orange t-shirt. He slid his white, ankle-high socks onto his feet… but he had no idea where his skates were. He looked around Gum's room but they weren't anywhere so be seen. He left her room and heard the shower running. _I guess she's still in there._ That thought brought to mind several images of her naked, which in turn caused a smile to spread uncontrollably onto his face. _"Not bad Yoh-kun, not bad at all."_ She didn't say he was great, but she said he wasn't bad… that was encouraging at least. He entered her living room and found his skates by the door. He picked them up and found that they had been cleaned up. There wasn't any visible dirt on the wheels and it seemed like the yellow had been carefully re-glossed. He smiled. _Maybe I should stay._ He had intended to leave and thank her for letting him stay the night later, but now he'd probably feel guilty about it if he didn't stay. He set his skates back down and went over to the couch to watch T.V.

The bathroom door opened and she stepped into the hallway blow-drying her hair, a towel wrapped tightly around her body. "Yoyo, what do you want for breakfast?"

Yoyo was taken slightly aback. Was she really going to cook for him? "I… don't know what you have to eat."

She turned off the blow-dryer. "Well, do you want me to make you something or do you want to eat some cereal?"

Yoyo scratched his head. "Uh… what were you planning to make?"

Gum smiled.

* * *

Gum rested her chin in her hands and beamed happily as she watched Yoyo shovel down the French toast, eggs and bacon that she'd made for him. _He must've been really hungry._ She laughed quietly as she got up. She went to the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice. When she went back to the dining area (it wasn't really a room) she set the glass of orange juice in front of Yoyo. She went over to the couch and picked up the remote control before returning to her own seat, sitting down, and drinking her coffee. She turned on the news, just in case something important happened while she had been preparing for her day. _Six-car pile-up in Chuo… workers striking at the dam… celebrity taken to rehab… serial rapist caught… subway groper arrested…new mayor chosen… partly cloudy, 87 degree high, 64 degree low_. Nothing that would really have an affect on her day. She looked back over to Yoyo who was now ripping through a mango. _When did he get that?_

He stopped chewing on the mango when he noticed her staring at him with a confused look on her face. "What's wrong?"

She pointed at the mango. "When did you get that?"

He gulped. "Uh… well, I finished everything else so I went to the refrigerator and got it… I didn't think you'd mind."

Gum smiled and shook her head. "No, no I don't mind. I just didn't notice you getting it is all."

"You weren't paying attention," he pointed at the T.V. "You were watching the news."

_Obviously. _She smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

She rested her chin in her palm and continued to gaze at or possibly through him. It was making him nervous. "Gum?"

She shook out of her trance. "Huh?"

"What's wrong?"

She smiled yet again. "Nothing, I was just thinking about how great you were in bed." She almost laughed when he started to blush. "I'm just kidding… I was thinking about what I said last night… about the Mohawk…" He relaxed a little but she noticed that he seemed slightly disappointed. She stood up. "You **were** great though." She saw his eyebrows rise as she left the room. She came back a few moments later with three items in hand: a sheet, a pair of scissors and a set of hair clippers.

Yoyo gulped. "You… you were serious?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I be serious? Go sit on the couch."

He sighed and did as he was told; it wouldn't be wise to argue with her while she's holding scissors.

She wrapped the sheet around him. He was actually pretty nervous about this. It wasn't that he really cared about his hair, he wasn't some kind of pretty-boy, it was just that he wasn't sure if she knew what she was doing. "Do you know what you're doing?"

"Of course I do." She clicked on the clippers.

"Are you sure?"

"I do my own hair all the time. I've cut hair before Yoyo."

She was fuckin' lying. She'd never cut hair before, she just didn't want to waste money on a barber. Even so, she was pretty competent and actually did a good job. She trimmed all of his hair, with the exception of the hair in the middle of course, cutting it as low as she could without completely shaving it off. Once she had finished that portion of the job she went to the bathroom and came back with some styling gel. She used it to spike his hair up, it was tall. She used the scissors to cut it down until it was only an inch and a half high. Once that was done she grouped it into locks and made them into individual spikes that ran from his hairline to his neck (where the hair was loose) and made him look like a green Sonic the Hedgehog.

She stroked the side of his head then stood him up and walked him into the bathroom. She stood him in front of the mirror. "See, I was right. You look good with your hair like this."

Yoyo gently touched the fin on his head. "I think everyone's going to make fun of me."

Gum sighed. "No they aren't… the guys are going to make fun of you. The girls are just going to play with your hair and tell you how cute you look."

"…"

She threw her arms around him and squeezed him into her, nearly absorbing him into her body. "You have to learn how to think positive Yoyo. You aren't going to get Rhyth by thinking negative thoughts."

Yoyo sighed. He wasn't even sure if Rhyth was interested in him at all. "If you say so…"

Gum looked at his face in the mirror. He looked sad again. _Shit… I made him sad._ "What's wrong Yoh-kun?"

He broke from her embrace and turned to face her. "Gum… about last night… did it… are we?

She sighed. She again had a smile on her face but it was thin and barely visible. "I'm sorry Yoyo. That was just a one time thing. I… I don't think we should really pursue it, you know?"

He let his eyes fall to the floor before he raised them again to look into her eyes. "Yeah… I understand… I guess it goes without saying really. We're keeping it between us right?" Gum closed her eyes and nodded. "Okay." An uncomfortable silence settled between them. He took a deep breath before he spoke again. "We should probably get going then."

Gum nodded. "Yeah, we should." She made herself sad now. If she hurt his feelings she hadn't meant to. She really wouldn't have minded getting into something deeper with Yoyo but she wasn't exactly oblivious to her own reputation. It wouldn't exactly help him to be associated with her in that way. And anyway she would've probably just broken his heart, like she had so many others. She loved him. She didn't want to end up hurting him. For the first time she thought about what she was about to do… what she was in the process of doing. She knew that seeing him happy would make her happy… but would she really be happy if he was with Rhyth. She knew that in a small corner of her heart she wouldn't be. _There's no turning back now… I've got to see this through to the end._ That's what she told herself as they left her stepfather's condo. She had to see it through and if Rhyth rejected him, well then she would have to steer him towards one of the other girls. The other girl's liked Yoyo enough to maybe go on a date with him at least… but still, part of her was hoping that she was wrong about that.

* * *

**The Garage- 11:42am**

Yoyo had gone over to sit next to Potts' kennel after they started laughing at him. _Well, she said the guys would laugh at me… what if she's wrong about the girls?_ He stroked Potts' chin as the dog stood up on his hind legs and set his paws on Yoyo's shin. When he and Gum had gotten to the garage they ran into Garam who almost immediately began to laugh at Yoyo's hair. Shortly after that, Soda and Beat showed up. They **also** laughed at him and were a bit harsher about it than Garam. Corn was there, of course, but he wasn't laughing. He tried to help Gum shut them up. They wouldn't stop so Yoyo went over to the kennel.

After a while he heard the laughter suddenly replaced by the sound of an angry Gum yelling and a few blows being landed… needless to say the laughter stopped. He then heard her saying quite a few mean things to them. She asked Soda why he thought having only three dreadlocks sticking up at the very top of his head was a good idea. She called Garam a "black Mr. Clean." Pots bit his hand so he missed what **she** said about Beat but he did catch it when Corn called him a mangy, tight-pants wearing poseur.

Potts bit his hand because he had yet to fill his food dish. Did as the dog was hoping he would and filled his dish with kibble and water (because it makes its own gravy). He filled a second dish with water. He smiled as the dog wagged its stubby tail. Yoyo looked back up at the platform that the others were on. It was quiet now. He could hear some talking but that was about it. _She must've shut them up_. Yoyo shrugged. He pulled his hood up and leaned back until he was resting quietly on the ground. He let his eyes close and dozed off.

* * *

**12:03pm**

Yoyo's eyes opened slowly. He wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep. He shook his head and scratched behind his ear.

"So what happened with you and Rhyth last night?"

Yoyo looked up… where did that come from? He looked around and found that Beat was speaking to Clutch by the old tub. He turned away and listened intently as Clutch answered Beat's question.

"Fuck man… first she made me drag Yoyo along with us," _So he was planning something_ "Then suddenly Yoyo gets lost somewhere."

"What, are you serious?"

"Yeah… we went into a store for a minute and when we came out he was fuckin gone."

"Well wasn't that a good thing for you?"

"Hell no! She made me help her look around for the little moron… we didn't get to do anything! It's all because that idiot can't pay attention to where he's going."

"Wait… Yoyo went with you last night?"

"That's what I said isn't it… why do you care?"

"Because… today he came in with Gum."

"Gum?"

"Yeah… it's weird man…" They both turned to look at Yoyo but soon returned focus to each other.

"What'd Gum say?"

"She didn't say anything… you're the only one who knew who he left with so I didn't think anything of it."

Yoyo got to his feet and skated over to the stairs that led to the top platform and started to climb them. He was met at the top by Jazz, Boogie and Gum. The others were gone. They were talking about him… but they were speaking English so he wouldn't have known if it weren't for them saying his name repeatedly. Their conversation stopped as they saw Yoyo. Gum waved at him but Jazz and Boogie sat on the couch motionlessly staring at him. Their eyes were wide and their mouths were only slightly open. Suddenly they stood up and approached him. About halfway to him smiles appeared on their faces and they rushed him, forcing him to the ground. Soon he felt their fingers stroking his hair and he heard them giggling.

They eventually climbed off of him and pulled him to his feet. He bent down to pick his glasses up off of the ground and when he straightened back up his head was met by Jazz's fingers. She was still smiling. She was stroking the sides of his head. Boogie was doing the same exact thing. Yoyo looked past them to Gum. She had a very satisfied smile on her face… she winked at him. He heard someone coming up the stairs behind him and turned around to see Cube.

"Hey, have any of you seen…" she stopped when she saw Yoyo and stared blankly at him. Then, like Jazz and Boogie before her, she reached out and stroked his new hair. A smile slowly spread onto her face and soon she, Jazz and Boogie were all playing with what was left of his hair. "You look so good with a Mohawk!" Cube exclaimed as she stroked the spikes at the top of his head.

"Yoyo, you're so cute with your hair like that!" Jazz cooed as she ran her fingers along the side of his head.

"Vous regardez si frais, il est un tel mignon vous recherchent!" (You look so cool, it's such a cute look for you!) Boogie said in her gentle, soothing voice… and in French. She always spoke French when she was excited about something. He was starting to wish he hadn't passed on her teaching him.

After about ten more minutes of playing with him Combo and Garam appeared from the shortcut that lead to Shibuya Terminal and called out to Cube; they had made plans for today and she was holding them up. She gave Yoyo a quick hug and left with them. Jazz's stomach started to growl. She hadn't eaten anything that day, which was a good enough reason for her to leave the garage. She gave Yoyo a hug **and** a kiss on the forehead before she left. Boogie gave his head one last stroke. She hugged him just before she followed Jazz out.

Yoyo skated over to the couch and sat next to Gum. They sat in silence for a little while. Gum decided to break that silence. "I told you."

Yoyo was puzzled. "Huh?"

"I told you that as soon as they saw your hair they would play with it and tell you how cute you were."

He knew she was right but he didn't like her gloating. "That was a coincidence."

"Bullshit, you know damn well…" She trailed off as she watched Rhyth enter the garage. The blue clad girl skated straight over to her usual spot. A small, thin smile spread onto Gum's lips. "There she is."

Yoyo had seen her. He nodded.

"Well?" Gum asked.

"Well, what?" Yoyo asked back.

Gum faced him. "Aren't you going to talk to her?"

Yoyo thought about it. Could he really put himself out there, even knowing that the only others there besides the three of them were Clutch and Beat. "I… I don't…"

Gum's smile disappeared. It was replaced by a hard, stern expression that he'd never seen before. "Yoh-kun, we talked about this last night. You already have everything you need, just tell her how you feel. If she accepts you then you get her. If she rejects you just move on and get someone else. But if you don't do anything you don't get anything." She watched as Yoyo bowed his head and thought. He was making his decision. "Well, while you're deciding, think about this: Clutch is below us right now and if you don't move on her, he will. On that you can trust me." He let it sink in. His head was still bowed… but then she heard him take a deep break. He raised his head and to her amazement his face carried a look of resolve. He stood up, not slouching with his hands in his pockets the way he usually did, but with his back straight, eyes forward and fists clenched. It was quite an impressive sight. He took a step forward and stopped. He turned to face Gum. He only looked at her for a few moments but then… he approached her… and kissed her. He kissed her very gently on her lips and it was enough to take her breath away. He pulled away from her and let the words roll off of his tongue. "Thank you, Yasu-senpai. Thank you for everything."

She watched as he skated over the side of the platform and directly to Rhyth. She heard Rhyth call out his name excitedly. "Yoh-kun, where did you–" He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.

After that Gum couldn't tell what was being said (because they were out of earshot) but it made her smile. She could tell that he was pouring his heart out to her. He was telling her everything he had wanted to tell her from the day he met her. He let it all out and after a few minutes… Rhyth threw her arms around him. She clung to him. She kissed him.

A smile spread onto Gum's face. _He finally did it._ She was so happy for him… but then if she was happy for him… why was there a tear in her eye. Why was her smile fading. Why did the feeling of warmth that had appeared in her chest at the sight of Rhyth kissing the boy back suddenly fade into cold nothingness. She knew why. It was because she loved Yoyo. She wanted him to be happy. It was what mattered most to her… but she knew that he could've been happy with her. She wanted Yoyo to succeed… and secretly she wanted him to fail. She wanted him to fail because he would come back to her if he did. She would've been happy… with him. _No, don't think that way. This ain't about makin' yourself happy. You knew what you were potentially givin' up when you decided to help him. It was your own choice… now you have to live with it._

She managed to convince herself. She took her helmet off and stretched out onto the couch. _But… I hope he knows that I love him… that I'll always be there for him. Always… no matter what._

Gum closed her eyes and drifted off.

* * *

_**A sad happy ending. I started to fizzle out at the end but I think I saved myself though. Please review this and remember… read "The Vinyl Umbrella" and whatever else Bagatelle has posted… as well as my other two stories… as a matter of fact, read everything on the front page of this category AND review them. Let's try and support as many writers as possible here.**_


	30. El Dia de los Muertos

_**I don't own JSRF…I **__**DO**__** own this fic so don't plagiarize… Happy New Year. This one's pretty short compared to my other stories.

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**El Dia De Los Muertos**

_**(Corn and Jazz)**_

"_Suddenly it occurred to me the reason for the run and hide had totaled my existence. Everything left on the other side could never be much worse than this but could I go the distance. I faced the door and all my shame tearin' off each piece of chain until they all were broken… But no matter how I tried the other side was locked so tight the door it wouldn't open.__"_

**-"Gotta Knock a Little Harder" by the Seatbelts**

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Wow… it's really been a while… I can't believe I've been away for so long. Sorry this has taken me so long… really… I'm just glad you guys didn't remove me from your favorites lists… or maybe you just forgot to. Anyway, I decided to go back to my Halloween stories for this chapter. I think I'm going to have to make changes to the original Halloween story because of some of the things I've planned for this story in this story.**_

_**Also thank you to Silvite's Cry, XkuramaandhieiX, Hyabusadude, Glasscase of Emotions and Misguided Angel of Death (actually the longest review I've ever gotten, had to word check it compared to Tei's) for the adds and/or reviews. I'm glad you like this story. Thank every last one of you for your patience and for showing love (you know who you are).**_

**_You may also be interested to learn I've registered as a JGR/JSRF beta-reader. If you have a story and need a reader... yo.

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**The Base of Kibagaoka Hill, warehouse district- October 31, 7:30pm**

She had been cooking for two days and though she had actually showered just hours ago she still smelled of it. The smell was the smell of sugar and freshly baked bread… in other words she smelled exactly like pan de muerto (bread of the dead). That wasn't the only smell of course, she also smelled of tequila and fruit juice. She told him that she was going to leave it at her brother's grave and she asked him if he would come along (she planned to stay out for a good portion of the night and didn't want to be out alone). He actually didn't want to go out at all, on holidays where there were usually huge celebrations (especially Halloween) the cops tended to be in the streets in full force hoping to catch any and every rudie they could… but after some thought he decided that that really just gave him more of a reason to go with her. They had left the H.Q. at around seven and actually made it to Kibagaoka in pretty good time considering they had gone the long way.

They went rooftop to rooftop until they got to a warehouse with a huge tag on its roof… though they didn't confirm it verbally they both decided just from looking at it that it had to be Rhyth's; an old one that she had left there and forgotten about. She had to have forgotten about it, she usually repainted them or painted over them when they got old.

Jazz set down the plastic shopping bag, opening it to verify it's contents: the sweet bread, fruit juice and tequila were all there. She sat down, allowing her legs to dangle over the edge of the rooftop as she caught her breath. It was quiet here today, quieter than usual at least. There were usually warehouse workers all over the place, loading boxes into trucks or unloading boxes from trucks or doing whatever they did inside the warehouses or yelling at her to get down from the roof… not much was happening today.

"Hey, Jazz?"

She almost jumped over the edge when he called her name. She'd forgotten he was there with her. "Jesus Christ, Corn… don't do that."

"Don't do what?" He was genuinely unsure of why she was so agitated; it wasn't like he'd snuck up on her or something like that.

She mentally checked herself and decided not to let him know he'd scared her. "What is it?"

Obviously she had no intention of answering his question so he just didn't bother to pursue it. He went back to the one he'd originally wanted to ask her. "You aren't from around here, are you?"

"I'm Mexican Corn, why would I be from around here?"

Corn shrugged. "I just thought that if your brother was buried here maybe you were from around here."

"Oh… nope. I'm from Vallejo actually."

"… So then… why's he buried here?"

"He was stationed in Okinawa. When he was discharged he came to Tokyo. About a year ago he was killed when some loco hijacked a bus."

"So why wasn't his body shipped back home to you?"

Jazz stiffened, not much but just enough for him to catch it. "The thing is… he'd gotten married and hadn't said a thing to me or my other brother and sisters… had a daughter and everything. His wife didn't want his body sent back so it was buried here… not that I blame her of course. I wouldn't want to have to fly to another country to visit my husbands grave either. My other brother's and sisters were pissed, but hey… what can you do?"

For the first time Corn noticed that she was wearing an olive drab military jacket with a nametag that read "Corp. A. Vargas" "What was his name?"

"Arturo. He was my oldest brother."

"How old was he?"

"Thirty-one."

He didn't know what else to say. What could he say? Too bad? I'm sorry? My condolences? It had been over a year since he died, too late for condolences. He hadn't killed him so he didn't have anything to be sorry about. She wasn't getting kicked off of "the Price is Right," saying "Too bad" would be callous… something Beat would probably say in an effort to seem sympathetic… something that he didn't think Jazz would appreciate. He couldn't just say nothing though… he had pushed the conversation so he had to close it, somehow. "What happens happens I suppose… just roll with the punches." He decided to test that and see if she kicked his ass for it.

Jazz looked over her shoulder at him. She quietly gazed at him for a moment before she answered. "I guess…" she turned back around. "Still… I can't help but wish it hadn't have happened."

Corn breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "Too late to wish… all you can do now is hope that he's happy on the other side."

Jazz was quiet for a moment. She turned completely, crossing her legs in front of her body and looking up at him. Then she looked up… all the way up. As she looked up at the sky she spoke quietly. "Maybe you're right." She rose to her feet, nearly falling because she'd never once attempted to lift herself from a sitting position to standing on skates. Once she was balanced she bent down and picked up her bag. "Come on… let's get going." Corn nodded and they slid over the edge of the building.

They started moving again, going as far as the street would allow them to go before finally jumping onto the power cords that crisscrossed from the edge of the reservoir to the walls that ran along the hillside and into the tunnel that went beneath it. Once they'd made it through the tunnel and into the area that was called "the courtyard" (the one area of Kibagaoka Hill that actually had intact buildings) they turned into a gated alleyway that ran between several rather rundown apartment buildings and led to a bridge that crossed a large drain. Once they had crossed the bridge they entered another gated alleyway that led to another neighborhood that neither of them had ever been to before that day.

It was… clean. It was so much cleaner than the other areas of Kibagaoka Hill and, maybe, the whole of Kogane. It was actually pretty spooky. The place was too quiet, like nobody lived there and the whole place was just too clean. There was virtually no trash on the street (which was actually paved unlike most of the rest of Kogane), the white paint on the houses seemed to be fresh and. In fact, the houses themselves almost seemed to be newly erected. They really couldn't tell if anyone even lived in the neighborhood; there weren't any signs to confirm it. To them it was a ghost town; it was just houses surrounded by high walls in all directions as far as the eye could see. As they stared down the all too clean streets of the suburb Jazz shuddered. This place gave her a bad feeling, like she was being watched from all angles. When she looked to Corn she could tell that he seemed to feel the same way.

Normally a place like this would just be begging to be tagged up. Corn especially wanted to tear the place up; he just couldn't stand to see such pristine buildings, their very existence mocking his own. Maybe he could talk Jazz into it on the way back; it'd be a shame to allow a perfect opportunity like this to slip through their fingers. For now though they needed to figure out where they were and how to get to the cemetery. Corn had no idea where they should go. "So what now?"

Jazz turned to him and shrugged. "I've never been here before… " She took a moment to look around one of the corners into an alley to her right. "Let's try this way."

Corns mouth twisted a little as he thought about it. "I don't know… maybe we should keep straight."

Jazz really wasn't sure about that. "You ever been here before?"

"Have you?" he replied sarcastically.

Jazz set her hands on her hips. "I could've sworn we covered that already."

"Yeah… we did."

Jazz sighed. "Okay… so… how 'bout we both go a couple of blocks, see where we end up and come back?"

Corn turned and looked down the street. He looked over his shoulder to answer her. "Ten minutes and back?"

"Deal."

"Right." He started down the street. "If you run into somebody make sure you ask for directions."

"Si, seguro (Yeah, sure thing)." She made an okay sign with her fingers just before she sped up the alleyway. At first she wanted to just keep straight but after a few of minutes of nothing but empty blocks with no end, or a single person, in sight she made a left and exited the alley. She went three blocks and made a right, power-slid and took a few quick steps to stop herself. She stood there staring down the empty street. It was a long way off but she was sure that the street ran into a dead end and not a turn. She rolled up her sleeve and checked her watch: it had been six minutes since she split with Corn. Convinced that she wouldn't find anything or anyone she decided to save time and head back. As she turned around she pushed in her ear-phones and turned on the mini-radio that was strapped to her belt. Her eardrums were immediately beaten by "Teknopathetic." Was that why it was so quiet today… was it just because she forgot to turn on her radio? She took a look around and decided that that wasn't it; this neighborhood was genuinely eerie. She looked around one more time and began skating. She went back around the corner that she'd only just come around and tore ass down the first block. Once she'd gotten herself to the speed she wanted she allowed herself to swerve from one side of the street to the other as she coasted down the second block. She regained her speed when she got to the third block and allowed herself to glide into the alley around the corner she had come around a couple minutes before. As she turned the corner she left her feet, jumping onto the alley wall and sliding for a good three seconds before jumping again. The second she disengaged her wall-ride and landed it she crossed to the other wall and executed another one. When she landed this time she turn and rode backward into the opposite wall and slid backward on it. To separate herself from the wall this time she lifted her right leg and used it to stomp the wall as she lifted her left. As she pushed off of the wall she did a 180. She executed her ariel perfectly but her landing was pretty sketchy and she almost fell forward onto her face; she was just barely able to stay on her feet by pushing her fist into the ground and taking a few quick steps forward. Once she'd regained her balance she rocketed down the street. She thought that she'd lost some time and wanted to go as fast as she could to get back. She wasn't sure why, she just knew it was important for her on a personal level to get there before Corn. She picked up more and more speed; speed to the point where her surroundings were starting to blur. A smile spread onto her face; this was the fastest she'd ever gone on level ground. Her smile grew when it occurred to her that she might be going faster than her skates were designed to go without involving a boost. She laughed… she loved the idea of her going faster than even a jet boost solely of her own ability.

She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't even see him coming right at her.

_**CRASH!**_

When Corn finally managed to pull himself up onto his knees he saw Jazz laying on her back a few yards away from him. She was holding her head and he could hear her sobbing. "…Jazz?" When he said her name she rolled onto her stomach and shifted her hands to the back of her head. Her sobbing got louder and he could see her shaking. He tried to get to his feet but when he tried everything around him spun and he fell backward onto his ass. His head was killing him. He tasted something sweet and metallic in his mouth and soon realized that he had a tooth resting under his tongue. He tried to spit it out but couldn't do it right; the tooth fell onto his stomach and rolled into his lap followed by a stream of blood. He placed his hand against his mouth to stop it from running out. He wanted to lie down on the ground but the sound of Jazz crying stopped him. He decided to try again. This time he rolled onto his hands and knees and, very slowly, pushed himself up onto his skates. He couldn't stand all the way up but he could balance on his skates. He squatted there for a moment and collected himself. After about a minute passed he managed stand and awkwardly skated over to Jazz. He'd started to lose his balance a few times but ultimately he stayed on his feet all the way to her. When he finally made it to her he slowly dropped down to his knees. "…Jazz… are you… are you okay?" She didn't say anything but she did shake her head. "Can you get up? Do you need some help?" Again, she said nothing. Instead she rolled onto her back again. She raised one of her hands; she wanted him to pull her up. He managed to get back onto his feet. Once he was standing he took her hand and pulled her off of the ground. She almost slipped off of her feet but Corn managed to get his arm around her waist and held her up. It took a few minutes and she was still holding her head but she was eventually able to stand on her own. When Corn saw that she could stand without him he went to pick his hat up off the ground. He placed it back on his head and turned back to Jazz. She wasn't holding her head anymore. Her right eye was black and her tears were all over her face. A look crossed her face, like something had just dawned on her. She started looking around and making it easier for him to see the much larger bruise on the right side of her jaw. He was confused by her frantic searching… until she found what she was looking for: her bag.

Looking down at it she felt so stupid. She had a perfectly good backpack at home, why hadn't she used it? Now everything was ruined. The sweet bread that she'd been slaving over for two days was all smashed and shredded. The bottle of fruit juice had been crushed and the pressure caused by that forced the bottle's top to separate itself from the bottle in a liquid explosion. The bottle of tequila was shattered and because Combo had to buy it for her in the first place (he being the only GG who could legally purchase alcohol) she couldn't go and buy another one.

All of her plans were completely ruined.

Corn watched Jazz as she sat down on the ground. She drew her knees into her body burying her head between them. He could hear her crying again. Before that very moment he hadn't known just how much all of this meant to her. "Jazz?" She pulled her head up and looked at him. He could see it in her eyes; she was absolutely crushed. Corn didn't know much about Jazz, but he now knew that this meant more to her than he could have imagined.

_**

* * *

So what was so important about this to Jazz? Is there anything Corn can do to save the day for her? Why IS she still in Japan if her brother died? **_

_**You'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out.**_

_**I'm sorry this one's so short… **_

_**but…**_

_**It's good to be back. **__****_


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